Man charged with sexually abusing minor at Naperville motel

A Chicago man has been charged with three felony counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse after Naperville police said he assaulted a minor on Dec. 7 and 16 at a motel on the 1500 block of Naperville Road.

Gabriel D. Melendez-Morales, 27, of the 3300 block of Irving Park Road, was arrested Monday and taken to the DuPage County jail, police said Tuesday.

DuPage County Judge Brian Telander set his bail at $100,000 and ordered that if Melendez-Morales is released, he is not to have any contact with minors, other than with a 15-year-old nephew with whom he lives.

Police said the victim and Melendez-Morales met via the social media app Yubo, which advertises itself as a place for teenagers to make friends. He told her he was 17, Assistant State's Attorney Alexandria Levan told Telander.

They continued their discussion on the app Snapchat, and on Dec. 7 they met where she lived and went to the motel. He sexually assaulted her and told her he was 19, and after another assault he told her he was 23, Levan said.

In a subsequent Snapchat, the victim expressed displeasure that he had lied about his age, at which time he told her he was 27, Levan said.

They resumed contact in mid-December. Levan said the girl said she agreed to meet again because she felt guilty that Melendez-Morales had paid for the motel room, and because she wanted to see his identification. There was another assault, after which the girl saw the ID and memorized Melendez-Morales' name and date of birth, Levan said.

When she told a friend what had happened, the friend advised her to tell a school counselor. She did, and the counselor then contacted police.

Levan said Melendez-Morales told police that he knew the girl was 16. She also said he indicated that of the seven or eight sexual partners he has had, one was 13 and only one was older than 18.

"It is alleged that Mr. Melendez-Morales met his minor victim on social media and just days later arranged to meet her at a hotel where he sexually abused her," DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in a written statement. "This type of deviant behavior will not be tolerated, and anyone suspected of preying on our children for sexual gratification will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.".

Anyone with information about Melendez-Morales or who has had contact with him is asked to call police at (630) 305-5453.