Man, 47, accused in assault of 15-year-old
LAKE IN THE HILLS – A man who met a 15-year-old boy through the Internet was charged with holding the boy against his will and fondling him, officials said. Mark Alan Pauga, 47, of 359 N. Mission Ave., Villa Park, was charged Friday with aggravated criminal sexual abuse and unlawful restraint stemming from an incident that occurred July 29 in Lake in the Hills, Deputy Chief Mary Frake said.
Pauga posted $8,000 on Monday to meet his $80,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court Monday to set a date for his preliminary hearing, said Nichole Owens, chief of the criminal division for the McHenry County state’s attorney’s office.
Pauga could not be reached for comment.
The teen and Pauga allegedly met through MySpace, a popular Internet site.
“I would encourage people to be aware of the information that they put on the Internet and MySpace,” Frake said. “It’s open for anybody to view. I would hope that this just brings to light that the Internet is not always a safe place to be.”
Owens said Pauga and the teen met at Arby’s Restaurant, 320 N. Randall Road, Lake in the Hills, in July.
“They went into the parking lot. He got into the man’s vehicle and Pauga allegedly restrained the child so he could not leave,” Owens said.
Pauga is also accused of fondling the boy, Owens said.
Owens said eventually Pauga allowed the teen to get out of the car.
The boy reported the incident to Lake in the Hills police the day it happened, but the investigation was hampered because his full identity was not available through the MySpace site, Frake said.
Other agencies, the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children unit of the Attorney General’s office and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, provided technical assistance, she said.
Eventually, Pauga was identified as a suspect. Villa Park police served a search warrant on his house on Sept. 28, she said.
And as a result of the cooperation, Lake in the Hills police secured a warrant for Pauga’s arrest on Friday. Elk Grove police arrested him Saturday.