Elgin man accused of inappropriately touching child

A 34-year-old Elgin man who was accused of trying to solicit a child last October outside of Channing Elementary School in Elgin is now accused of inappropriately touching a 6-year-old boy at the Elgin Mall.

Bond was set at 10 percent of $750,000 Friday for Daniel L. Dawson, of the 1300 block of Meyer Street, Elgin, after he was charged with aggravated criminal sexual abuse.

Elgin Police spokeswoman Sue Olafson said Dawson was arrested at about 4 p.m. Thursday in the 300 block of South McLean Boulevard.

The felony charge carries up to seven years in prison, but probation of up to four years also is an option. Dawson is due in court on Sept. 10.

Last October, a woman called police after she became suspicious of Dawson hanging around outside the school asking when kids were to be dismissed for the day.

The solicitation charge was eventually reduced to a battery charge and in May 2010 Dawson pleaded guilty to that and was sentenced to six months in jail and two years probation.

Police arrested Dawson and requested a felony charge, but the state's attorney's office charged him with a misdemeanor.

Dawson was charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct on July 2, 2003. He was accused of trying to lure an 8-year-old girl into the men's bathroom at the Wing Park golf course, records show.

The charges were upgraded to felony child abduction and he eventually pleaded guilty in March 2005 to aggravated battery, a felony, and sentenced to 24 months sex offender probation and fined $600.

Records show Dawson was sentenced to two years in prison in April 2008 after violating his probation by not completing sex offender counseling and testing positive for marijuana in May 2007.

Dawson was also convicted of battery in Elgin and sentenced in May 2010 to 24 months of probation and 180 days in jail, records show.

Daily Herald staff writer Josh Stockinger contributed to this report.