Police: Wheaton man friended 14-year-old girl on Facebook for sex

A west suburban man is charged with friending a teenage girl on Facebook to ask her to meet him for sex.

Matthew Knitter, 20, is charged with indecent solicitation of a child, solicitation to meet a child, and grooming, all felonies, according to the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office.

“Parents should keep in mind that in today’s high-tech world, child sexual predators can get into your home and gain access to your children via the Internet and other types of electronic communication,” state’s attorney Robert Berlin said in the statement.

The 14-year-old girl accepted a Facebook friend request from Knitter on July 14, according to a statement from prosecutors. He then sent her sexually explicit messages and asked her to meet him in person for sex.

The girl immediately told her father, who contacted Wheaton police, according to prosecutors. Detectives assumed control of the girl’s Facebook account and arranged a meeting with Knitter, who was arrested when he showed up.

“I would like to thank the young girl in this case for alerting her father to a situation that made her feel uncomfortable,” Berlin said.

Judge Richard Russo set Knitter’s bond at $200,000 Thursday. He is next scheduled to appear in court Aug. 10 in Wheaton.