Charges dropped in Perverted Justice stings

McHenry County prosecutors have dismissed charges against two suburban men arrested over the summer after Internet predator investigations conducted by the national organization Perverted Justice.

Prosecutors said they could not proceed against Grant W. Boyer, of Tower Lakes, or Daniel Urban, of Elk Grove Village, because it appears they violated no laws in McHenry County.

Instead, the McHenry County state's attorney's office referred the cases to Cook and Lake county authorities for possible prosecution.

"Admissible evidence exists for both charges," said Nichole Owens, criminal division chief for the McHenry County state's attorney. "The basis of the dismissal is solely due to jurisdictional issues."

Boyer, 21, faced one count of solicitation and Urban, 24, two counts of solicitation and a third of attempted aggravated criminal sexual abuse, alleging they tried to arrange sexual encounters with what they believed were underage girls they met on line.

The pair were arrested on separate dates in June after showing up at a Wonder Lake home they believed was the girl's residence, according to police. Instead, they found police waiting for them.

The encounters were arranged through Perverted Justice, a Portland, Ore.-based organization that targets adults who use the Internet to arrange meetings for sex with children. The group's activities have been featured regularly on the Dateline NBC's "To Catch a Predator" program.

Owens said reports later obtained by her office revealed that the alleged solicitations took place between the suspects on computers in their home counties and Perverted Justice workers outside McHenry County, leaving local prosecutors without jurisdiction to proceed.