Man Arrested in Illinois Drove Away with Northern Michigan Child After Online Meeting, Police Say

Man arrested in Illinois drove away with Northern Michigan child after online meeting, police say

EMMET COUNTY, MI - An Iowa man whom police allege had been grooming a Northern Michigan child in an online relationship for some time was arrested after he was caught with the minor in Illinois, officers said.This alleged child exploitation case centers around William Joseph Gatchel II, 24, of Grimes, Iowa. He is being charged with three counts of criminal sexual conduct toward a person ages 13 to 15, and one count of accosting a child for immor…

Illinois Man Charged In Porter County After Alleged Online Child Solicitation

An Illinois man is facing felony charges in Porter County after police say he traveled to meet someone he believed was a 13-year-old girl following a series of sexually explicit messages exchanged through a social media dating app. Screenshot According to a probable cause affidavit filed October 31, 2025, police were dispatched around 8 p.m. on October 30, 2025, to a location on Wind Jammer Way in Portage after receiving information from a group…