Sex offender charged with visting school pleads not guilty

A convicted sex offender police say went to a Round Lake Park school looking for his daughter pleaded not guilty Thursday in Lake County Circuit Court.

Gillermo Contreras, 45, faces up to three years in prison if convicted of violating the state's sex offender registration act.

Lake County Assistant State's Attorney Ari Fisz said Contreras is barred from being on any school campus because he was convicted of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a minor in 2001.

Nonetheless, Fisz said, Contreras went to the W.J. Murphy Elementary School on Nov. 6 to look for his daughter.

Contreras, of 408 Kenwood Drive, Round Lake Park, told police he went to the school because he was concerned when a school bus did not bring his daughter to a drop-off spot on time.

The girl, who attends a different school and does not live with Contreras, was found later in good condition at the school she attends.

Police said one of the first people Contreras came in contact with at Murphy school was its principal, Jeffrey Pickett. Contreras explained why he was there, police said, then identified himself as a sex offender and asked Pickett not to call the police.

Pickett did call police, and Contreras was arrested without incident.

Associate Judge Christopher Stride ordered Contreras to appear in court today for a scheduling conference.