Police have arrested a Libertyville man and convicted child sex offender who was wanted after he allegedly roamed around a school property in his car in Lake Forest.
The Lake Forest Police Department responded on April 19 to the area of Academy Drive and Route 60 in Lake Forest for a report of a FLOCK camera alert.
The alert reported that a silver Mini Cooper, linked to a registered child sex offender, was spotted driving towards Lake Forest Academy, a preparatory school for boarding and day students in grades 9-12.
Officers located the suspect vehicle on Academy Drive as it approached Route 60 and conducted a traffic stop, according to Lake Forest Deputy Police Chief R.D. Copeland.
Officers identified the driver as Glenn P. Stephens, 68, of Libertyville.
They confirmed that Stephens is a current registered sex offender for indecent solicitation of a child, which he was convicted of in 2008.
When officers questioned Stephens about driving around the Lake Forest Academy property, he denied being on the school property, Copeland said.
Stephens claimed he had just pulled over after exiting Route 60 so he could read a text on his phone.
Stephens was released at the scene and officers began investigating Stephens’ whereabouts to determine if he had entered Lake Forest Academy property in violation of his status as a registered sex offender, Copeland said.
Police were able to work with Lake Forest Academy staff to confirm through video surveillance cameras that Stephens drove past multiple signs indicating Lake Forest Academy property.
Copeland said Stephens was observed driving onto school property past several school buildings and at one point he stopped in front of the school’s fitness center.
Stephens was then observed driving off school property back towards Route 60.
“Stephens’s presence on school property is a clear violation of his registered child sex offender status,” Copeland said.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office reviewed the case and approved the charge of presence of a registered child sex offender on school grounds, a Class 4 felony.
An arrest warrant was signed by Lake County Judge Theodore Potkonjak on Monday with a bond of $200,000.
Police officers in Vernon Hills received a FLOCK camera alert on Tuesday for Stephens’ Mini Cooper, which notified them he had the active warrant.
Stephens was taken into custody by the Vernon Hills Police Department and transported to the Lake County Jail.
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