URBANA, Ill. (WAND) - A Seymour man has been arraigned on a charge of child abduction.

Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Rietz said this comes after an Urbana Police Department investigation into allegations that on August 16, 2024, he intentionally tried to lure a child under the age of 17 into a vehicle.

Hunter Simmons, 34, was arraigned in court Monday to be charged with one count of Child Abduction, a class 2 felony punishable by from 3 to 14 years.

Child Abduction is normally a class 4 felony, however it will be charged as a class 2 felony because Simmons is a registered child sex offender currently serving a 30-month probation sentence. He was convicted on January 11, 2024 for Indecent Solicitation of a Child and Traveling to Meet a Minor in Woodford County, Illinois.

Class 2 felonies are normally punishable for 3 to 7 years. However, since the events took place within 1,000 feet of a school -- being in the vicinity of Urbana High School, Urbana Middle School, and Leal Elementary School --  Simmons is eligible for extended term sentencing of up to 14 years' incarceration.   

Urbana Police said the victim, an 11-year-old child, was walking home on Friday, August 16, 2024, at 3:15 p.m., when she noticed a white pickup truck following her. The driver stopped next to her and asked her if she wanted a ride and if she would like to make some money. The child said no and ran from him and reported the situation to a neighbor and a parent.

During the investigation, the child provided UPD investigators with her phone because she had been recording herself as she was walking. The video showed the vehicle crossing the child’s path in multiple directions. The video also contains audio of the suspect soliciting the child, asking her if she needs a ride and if she wants to make some money.

Investigators were able to see the vehicle’s license plate on the video, which registered Hunter Simmons. They then found Simmons at his home in Seymour and took him into custody.

Police said Simmons waived his Miranda rights and admitted that he saw the child walking in the area and that he intended to pay her money in exchange for oral sex. He claimed he thought she was 19 or 20, but later admitted he thought she may have been 16.

Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact the Urbana Police Department, or anonymously via Crimestoppers.

The State’s Attorney’s Office will be seeking pretrial detention following arraignment on the charges.

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