Belvidere man accused of soliciting juvenile for sex

SPRING GROVE – A Belvidere man who allegedly tried to solicit a Spring Grove juvenile for sex online will appear in McHenry County court next week.

Brian W. Rogers, who lives at 215 E. Second St., has been charged with felony indecent solicitation of a child and could be sentenced to between two and five years in prison if convicted.

Rogers, 61, allegedly was trading e-mail with a juvenile in Spring Grove so the two could have sexual contact.

The juvenile’s parents discovered the messages on a family computer and reported them to Spring Grove Police, Chief Tom Sanders said.

“The juvenile’s site was left open, and they happened to go through it and noticed it,” Sanders said.

Police were notified in October 2008, and Rogers’ computers were confiscated for an investigation by November.

Sanders said the Spring Grove police worked with the FBI and Belvidere authorities to evaluate the computers and obtain subpoenas from Internet providers, phone companies and Web sites.

Illinois State Police Sgt. Luis Gutierrez said Rogers was required to register as a child sex offender in 1994 for a prior offense. He was only required to be registered for 10 years, so in 2004 his name was removed from the public registry. Law enforcement officials could view his prior registration, however.

If Rogers is convicted, he will need to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, Gutierrez said.