Prosecutors moved to seize truck of Elburn man accused of solicitation, sex abuse
Kane County prosecutors want a pickup truck they say was used by an Elburn man to meet a minor for sex permanently forfeited to the state.
Prosecutors this week moved to have Richard L. Herra's 2007 Ford F350 truck, which was seized when he was arrested Sept. 25, forfeited, arguing it was used in commission of a crime.
"Defendant contacted a 16-year-old juvenile male on the internet and arranged to meet him at (a) restaurant for purposes of having sex," read part of the complaint filed by prosecutors.
Undercover sheriff's deputies made contact with Herra using the teen's username and password and arranged to meet at a restaurant, according to court records. Herra communicated to deputies he wanted to have sex with someone who he thought was a 16-year-old juvenile.
Herra, 49, of the 400 block of East Reader Street, who also is a Naperville firefighter, was arrested Sept. 25 and charged with indecent solicitation of a child, attempted aggravated criminal sexual abuse and indecent solicitation of a child through the internet, all felonies.
Four days later, Herra was arrested again and charged with six counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a different victim in late July 2017.
Herra was being held at the Kane County jail on $100,000 bail. If convicted in both cases, he faces up to 12 years in prison and lifetime registration as a sex offender.
Herra's criminal cases are next due in court Nov. 17. The next hearing on the forfeiture case is Dec. 5.
A message left with Naperville fire officials regarding Herra's employment status was not returned. A message left with Herra's attorney, Earl Vergara, was not returned.