Crime & Safety

Plainfield 18-Year-Old Facing Charges of Sexually Assaulting a Minor

Jason Minger appeared in court Tuesday via closed-circuit TV. Police say charges related to a possible second victim may be forthcoming.

A teen from unincorporated  appeared in court Tuesday on sex abuse charges after being accused of sexually assaulting a minor younger than 13.

Jason T. Minger, 18, of the 23000 block of West Lynn Street, is accused of sexually assaulting a Joliet child on multiple occasions over the last year, according to Joliet Police Cmdr. Brian Benton, head of the department's investigations division.

Benton said the child's parents contacted police May 12. Police said Minger had befriended the child's family before the alleged sexual abuse. In the interest of protecting the victim's identity, police declined to provide the child's age or sex.

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"Basically, the juvenile told the parents what had been occuring finally," Benton said.

The Will County Children's Advocacy Center was called in to conduct a victim-sensitive interview with the child, police said. After the interview, Benton said police contacted Minger and he voluntarily agreed to come in to speak with investigators Saturday.

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"He admitted to the sexual assault of not only this victim, but one other victim," Benton said. Investigators are working to corroborate those statements, Benton added, saying charges related to a second potential victim may be forthcoming.

Minger is being held at the Will County jail in lieu of $25,000 bail.

Minger, who appeared in court Tuesday via closed-circuit television, is charged with predatory criminal sexual assault, a class X felony punishable by a mandatory six- to 30-year prison sentence if convicted. He is also charged with aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a victim younger than 13, a class 2 felony which, upon conviction, mandates a sentence of three to seven years.

Minger is scheduled to return to Will County Courthouse for arraignment and preliminary hearing June 19.

Police report information is provided by local police departments. Charges are not evidence of guilt. Persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.


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