Huntley man faces sex abuse, child porn charges

A 38-year-old Huntley man is facing a slew of criminal allegations, and up to 15 years in prison, on charges he engaged in sexual activities with an underage girl and solicited explicit photos of her by pretending to be someone else.

James A. Thompson, of the 11000 block of Beacon Avenue, is charged with four counts of child pornography, two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and five counts of indecent solicitation of a child, all felonies.

Thompson also faces six misdemeanor counts of distribution of harmful material and two misdemeanor charges of sexual exploitation of a child.

Huntley police arrested Thompson on a warrant last week, culminating a four-month investigation into claims he had sexually abused the girl.

According to a statement issued by police Monday, Thompson over several months played alcohol drinking games with the girl, and then several times had sexual contact with her.

The investigation, police said, also revealed that Thompson, while posing as someone else, had the girl e-mail to him sexually explicit photos of herself.

The 19-count criminal complaint against Thompson states the incidents date back to May 2008 and continued through December.

Among the allegations in the complaint are that he solicited the girl to appear in a pornographic film depicting them engaging in sexual intercourse, that he fondled her on two occasions, that he showed a minor nude photographs and that he enticed a minor to remove her clothing for his sexual arousal.

On Wednesday, Huntley detectives, with the assistance of the McHenry County State's Attorney's Office and the Vernon Hills Police Department, executed search warrants on Thompson's Huntley residence and place of employment in Vernon Hills. Several computers along with CD's and other items were retrieved as evidence during the search warrant, police said.

He was arrested that same day, but is now free after posting $10,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court on the charges July 28.