(PEORIA, IL) On Thursday, May 1, 2025, the Peoria Police Department launched an investigation into a city of Peoria resident suspected of engaging in an online chat with a child and planning to meet for sexual purposes.
Detectives reviewed more than 60 pages of messages between the suspect, identified as James L. Parker, 56, and the juvenile victim.
On June 4, 2025, at approximately 2:15 p.m., Parker was taken into custody without incident in the 1200 block of W. McClure.
He was transported to the Criminal Investigations Division for questioning and later arrested for Indecent Solicitation of a Child and Grooming. He was booked into the Peoria County Jail.
A search warrant was executed at Parker’s residence, where several items of evidentiary value were seized. Investigators have also learned that Parker is a subject of interest in similar out-of-state investigations involving minors.
If you have any information regarding any violent crimes, please contact the Peoria Police Department at (309) 673-4521, tip411 (anonymously), or Crime Stoppers (anonymously) at (309) 673-9000.