Carnival company denies ties with accused molester

A Marengo carnival company is denying any connection with a homeless man accused of child abuse.

Martin Weis, 45, was charged with predatory criminal sexual assault of a Melrose Park child last week and is being held in Cook County Jail on $100,000 bond. He identified himself as a seasonal employee of Skinners' Amusements, a 100-year-old carnival company doing business across Illinois, which helped trigger a public call by the Cook County Sheriff's Police for any additional information on him.

"We have no record of his employment," said Renata Skinner, secretary of the company, "going back 10 or 15 years."

For the last five years, she added, they've routinely checked sex-offender registries and done third-party background checks on applicants.

"Anybody employed by Skinners' Amusements has to be background checked," she said.

Weis had a previous conviction on child abuse 22 years ago, but did not appear on the Illinois Sex Offender Registry because it was created after that judgment.

"I certainly don't want someone like this on our midway," Skinner added.

A sheriff's police spokesman said the investigation is ongoing.