State’s Attorney Glasgow’s Crimes Against Children Unit assists in investigation, arrest of man charged with soliciting minor
October 3
JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announces that his Crimes Against Children Unit played a major role in the investigation and arrest of a Bradley man on charges alleging the suspect solicited someone he believed to be a 13-year-old girl from Virginia for sex.
Martin Franklin Walter Bollhorst, 54, was arrested Tuesday as part of a joint operation by State’s Attorney Glasgow’s Crimes Against Children Unit, the Fairfax County (VA) Police Department, the Bradley Police Department, the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Department, the Kankakee County State’s Attorney’s Office, and the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force.
Bollhorst was arrested on four felony counts from Virginia alleging he used a mobile communication device to solicit a child. The alleged victim in this case was actually the persona of a 13-year-old girl that Detective Robert Bauer of the Fairfax County Police Department had created to capture online predators.
The detective began communicating with the defendant during a multijurisdictional traveler operation that began in July. During online conversations, the defendant is alleged in charges to have made direct sexual overtures toward the individual he believe to be an underage girl.
State’s Attorney Glasgow’s Crimes Against Children Unit Investigator, Megan Brooks, working with the Fairfax County Police Department, assisted in tracking the defendant’s IP address. She also visited a Bradley bar the defendant frequents, where she conducted surveillance to match his live description with digital photos he had sent to the Fairfax County detective. In addition, Investigator Dan Simenson from the Crimes Against Children Unit assisted during the execution of the search warrant.
State’s Attorney Glasgow’s Crimes Against Children Unit became involved in the case at the request of the Illinois Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which had been assisting Fairfax County in the case.
“Our children are sacred. If we are to protect them, we must be willing and ready to lend our expertise to any outside agency that is building a case to take a child predator off the streets,” State’s Attorney Glasgow said. “Megan Brooks is a resourceful investigator who I have directed to extend her hand in cooperation with law enforcement throughout the country when necessary and appropriate.”
Brooks also is the handler of Cache, a 75-pound Black Labrador that is trained to detect hidden electronic devices that may be used by suspects to store illegal child pornography. Brooks and Cache have assisted in the execution of dozens of search warrants for agencies that include the FBI, U.S. Probation, and Homeland Security to name a few. State’s Attorney Glasgow makes Cache available to assist other agencies because the dog is one of only two in Illinois with that specific training.
Bollhorst currently is awaiting extradition to Virginia.