People v. Sweigart
Illinois Court of Appeals
985 N.E.2d 1068 (2013)
- Written by Carolyn Strutton, JD
Facts
Stephen Sweigart (defendant) approached an eight-year-old boy in a store and began talking to him. Sweigart asked the boy if he wanted to come to Sweigart’s house to play with toys. When the boy replied that he did not want to, Sweigart told him that it would be fun. Sweigart hurried away from the boy when the boy’s mother sent his sister over to check on him. The boy’s mother spoke to store personnel, who took down Sweigart’s van’s license-plate number and contacted the police. The police stopped Sweigart and found numerous suspicious items in his van, including guns, a machete, children’s toys, and sexual paraphernalia such as restraint devices. Sweigart was arrested and charged with child abduction, which in Illinois could be based on either luring or attempting to lure a child. Sweigart was convicted and appealed, alleging that the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Zenoff, J.)
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