Wisconsin man facing sexual exploitation charges may have met Illinois teens

(MELROSE, Wis.) A Wisconsin man facing sexual exploitation charges may have communicated with Illinois teens online, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s office.

Jason E. Wiese

Jason E. Wiese, 28, faces three felony counts of grooming and two misdemeanor counts of sexual exploitation of a child, according to a statement from the sheriff’s office.

The sheriff’s cybercrimes unit began an investigation and started communicating with Wiese as a 14-year-old girl, according to the statement.

Wiese allegedly began grooming who he believed was the teen, and engaged in numerous sexually explicit conversations with the “girl,” according to the statement. He also sent numerous lewd images of himself and requested images of her in return.

Jason E. Wiese

Wiese was very active on the Paltalk Internet chat application, and frequented the “teens only” section, according to the statement.

He arrested on May 15 in Wisconsin, according to the statement.

During an interview, he said he has communicated with others online from Illinois, and has “been with a few girls” from Illinois.

Anyone who may recognize Wiese from his Paltalk photo is asked to contact Detective Chris Covelli at (847) 377-4145.

Wiese is scheduled to be arraigned on Aug. 6.