Police: California man traveled to Palatine to meet minor
A California man was ordered held on $20,000 bond Monday on allegations he traveled to Palatine last week intending to meet a 14-year-old for sexual conduct.
Hunter W. Dotson, 19, of Moreno Valley, California, is charged with one count of traveling to meet a child, stemming from his arrest Jan. 7 while awaiting a flight home at O'Hare International Airport, Palatine police said.
According to police, Dotson communicated with the 14-year-old from Michigan over messages, phone calls and video chats for three months before his arrest. The communications included plans to meet for the purpose of sexual conduct, police said.
On Jan. 3, police said, he flew into O'Hare and stayed at a Palatine motel for three days while continuing to communicate with the minor. He was then confronted by the minor's parents, who alerted authorities of the communications.
If Dotson posts bond, he will be placed on GPS monitoring and must not to have contact with the Michigan teen or anyone else younger than 18. He also is barred from using the internet except for school- or court-related activities.
Dotson is scheduled to return to court Jan. 28. The charge against him is a felony punishable by a maximum two to five years in prison.