{
    "title": "Illinois State Police Arrests Child Sex Offender at Trunk or Treat Event ",
    "modified_at": "2026-10-30 17:17:48",
    "published_at": "2026-10-30 17:18:00",
    "url": "https://illinois-state-police.prezly.com/illinois-state-police-arrests-child-sex-offender-at-trunk-or-treat-event",
    "short_url": "http://prez.ly/z3oe",
    "culture": "en",
    "language": "EN",
    "subtitle": "ISP provides safety information to help keep kids safe this Halloween",
    "slug": "illinois-state-police-arrests-child-sex-offender-at-trunk-or-treat-event",
    "body": "<p style=\"text-align: center\">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</p><p style=\"text-align: center\">October 30, 2026</p><p style=\"text-align: center\">&nbsp;</p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><strong>KANKAKEE</strong> &ndash; The Illinois State Police (ISP) arrested a registered child sex offender earlier this week at a church Halloween Trunk or Treat event in St. Anne, IL.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify\">On October 28, 2026, ISP arrested 52-year-old Mitchel R. DeYoung of St. Anne, IL after he was located at a Trunk or Treat event. DeYoung is charged with eight counts of Failure to Register as a Child Sex Offender (Class 2 Felony), one count of Child Sex Offender in a School Zone (Class 4 Felony), and one count of Child Sex Offender Participation in a Holiday Event (Class 4 Felony). He is being held at the Kankakee County Jail pending his first court appearance.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify\">Registered sex offenders are prohibited from passing out candy on Halloween. They may not appear in a Halloween costume or other child-centered holiday character, such as Santa or the Easter Bunny, in public.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify\">Before heading out for trick-or-treating, parents and guardians can check for registered sex offenders in their area on the ISP Sex Offender Registry website at \u200b <a href=\"https://sor.isp.illinois.gov/sorpublic/map\">https://sor.isp.illinois.gov/sorpublic/map</a>. The interactive website allows users to track offenders&rsquo; home addresses, which sends notifications to participants when a registered offender moves in or out of a given radius around the provided address.</p><p style=\"text-align: justify\">When trick-or-treating, children should be supervised by a trusted adult and should never enter strangers&rsquo; homes or vehicles. ISP urges trick-or-treaters to travel in well-lit areas and in groups.</p>\n    <figure\n        class=\"release-content-image release-content-image--contained release-content-image--align-center\"\n        data-component=\"image-zoom-popup\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-selector=\".release-content-image__image\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-i18n=\"data:application/json;base64,eyJEb3dubG9hZCI6IkRvd25sb2FkIn0=\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-tracking-views-event=\"Story Image View\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-tracking-download-event=\"Story Image Download\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-placement=\"content\"\n    >\n        <div class=\"image-thumbnail-rollover\" style=\"width: 100%\">\n            <img\n                src=\"https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/c715f2e3-f17a-4f4e-aea9-e14eeeada7f0/-/format/auto/\"\n                                class=\"release-content-image__image image-thumbnail-rollover__image\"\n                data-description=\"Mitchel DeYoung (M/52) \"\n                id=\"image-c715f2e3-f17a-4f4e-aea9-e14eeeada7f0\"\n                data-id=\"c715f2e3-f17a-4f4e-aea9-e14eeeada7f0\"\n                data-original=\"https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/c715f2e3-f17a-4f4e-aea9-e14eeeada7f0/-/inline/no/Untitled\"\n                data-mfp-src=\"https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/c715f2e3-f17a-4f4e-aea9-e14eeeada7f0/-/format/auto/\"\n                alt=\"Mitchel DeYoung (M/52) \"\n            />\n            <div class=\"image-thumbnail-rollover__caption\">\n                <svg class=\"icon icon-expand image-thumbnail-rollover__caption-icon\">\n                <use xlink:href=\"#icon-expand\"></use>\n            </svg>            </div>\n        </div>\n\n        <figcaption class=\"release-content-image__caption\">Mitchel DeYoung (M/52) </figcaption>\n    </figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><em>The charges against are not evidence against the defendant, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.</em></p><p style=\"text-align: center\">###</p><p>&nbsp;</p><div class=\"release-content-contact\" id=\"contact-2d8582c3-6660-46ec-be9a-ede92e8776d0\">\n    <div class=\"release-content-contact__avatar\"><img src=\"https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/c186f24e-632d-4a36-87df-aa1eb28e1989/-/crop/425x425/63,0/-/preview/-/scale_crop/128x128/center/-/format/auto/\" alt=\"Illinois State Police\" class=\"release-content-contact__avatar-image\" /></div>\n    <div class=\"release-content-contact__details\">\n        <strong class=\"release-content-contact__name\">Illinois State Police</strong>\n        <em class=\"release-content-contact__description\">Public Information Office, Office of the Director</em>\n        <ul class=\"release-content-contact__details-list\"><li class=\"release-content-contact__details-list-item\"><a href=\"mailto:ISP.PIO.Personnel@illinois.gov\"  class=\"release-content-contact__details-list-item-link\" title=\"ISP.PIO.Personnel@illinois.gov\"><svg class=\"icon icon-paper-plane release-content-contact__details-list-item-icon\">\n                <use xlink:href=\"#icon-paper-plane\"></use>\n            </svg>ISP.PIO.Personnel@illinois.gov</a></li>\n<li class=\"release-content-contact__details-list-item\"><a href=\"https://twitter.com/@ILStatePolice\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"release-content-contact__details-list-item-link\" title=\"@ILStatePolice\"><svg class=\"icon icon-twitter release-content-contact__details-list-item-icon\">\n                <use xlink:href=\"#icon-twitter\"></use>\n            </svg>@ILStatePolice</a></li>\n<li class=\"release-content-contact__details-list-item\"><a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/ILStatePolice/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"release-content-contact__details-list-item-link\" title=\"ILStatePolice\"><svg class=\"icon icon-facebook release-content-contact__details-list-item-icon\">\n                <use xlink:href=\"#icon-facebook\"></use>\n            </svg>ILStatePolice</a></li>\n<li class=\"release-content-contact__details-list-item\"><a href=\"https://isp.illinois.gov/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"release-content-contact__details-list-item-link\" title=\"isp.illinois.gov\"><svg class=\"icon icon-browser release-content-contact__details-list-item-icon\">\n                <use xlink:href=\"#icon-browser\"></use>\n            </svg>isp.illinois.gov</a></li></ul>\n    </div>\n</div><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>",
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