Cook cops seeking more information about accused molester

The Cook County Sheriff's Office is seeking additional information on a homeless suburban man and carnival worker accused of child abuse - who turned out to have a previous conviction for the same crime 22 years ago.

Martin Weis, 45, was charged with predatory criminal sexual assault of a child last week and is being held in Cook County Jail on $100,000 bond. He has pleaded not guilty.

Described by the sheriff's office as a transient homeless man who stayed with friends and associates when not on the road with Skinners' Amusements, a carnival company based in Marengo, Weis was accused of abusing a child of a Melrose Park family he was staying with.

According to the sheriff's office, Weis was convicted in 1988 of molesting a child of a family he was staying with between jobs, but he did not turn up on any sex-offender lists later on because the crime took place before the Illinois Sex Offender Registry was created.

Sheriff Tom Dart expressed concerns that the suspect may have had other illicit contact with children, considering his job as a carnival worker and how he would stay with other families.

"We hope there aren't more victims out there, but there may be," Dart said. "If there are, we'd like them to come forward to help us make sure he never does this to another child again."

Anyone with information is asked to call sheriff's police investigators at (708) 865-4875.

Skinners' Amusements did not return calls or e-mail requesting comment. According to its website, the firm is marking its 100th anniversary this year and does business exclusively in Illinois.

According to the sheriff's office, when Weis was found to have child pornography with his belongings, he was kicked out by the Melrose Park family he'd been staying with. A subsequent investigation led to charges that he had molested a child in that family.

A Dart spokesman said the General Assembly has been considering a bill to expand the Sex Offender Registry to those previously convicted, but hadn't acted on it. He added it's unclear whether carnival companies are required to do background checks on employees.

Weis entered a plea of not guilty; his next court appearance was set for May 19 in Rolling Meadows.