West Chicago man charged with abusing girl, 13

A West Chicago man accused of having sex with a 13-year-old girl, after more than a year of pursuing her, told police his “hormones got the best of him,” prosecutors said Thursday.

Adrian Perez, 22, was charged with aggravated criminal sexual abuse. his bail was set at $150,000 by DuPage County Judge Liam Brennan.

Assistant State’s Attorney Anne Therieau said Perez knew the victim through her stepfather and had pursued a relationship with her for about a year and a half with letters and other correspondence.

On Sunday, Therieau said, the victim’s mother was “alarmed” when the girl returned home showing signs of sexual abuse. She said Perez later confessed in a police interview.

“The defendant admitted he knew her age” Therieau said in court. “He admitted having sex with her and that his hormones got the best of him.”

Brennan set bail at $150,000, meaning Perez would need $15,000 to bond out of DuPage County jail, where he remained Thursday afternoon.

Prosecutors said Perez, of the 500 block of Carriage Drive, had no prior criminal record. If convicted, he could be sentenced to up to seven years in prison.