Westmont police arrested a 66-year-old man accused of showing pornography to three children at Diane Main Park on Sunday, Oct. 25.
Justano Rios, of the 100 block of West 63rd Street, faces one felony count of sexual exploitation of a child, according to the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office. He also faces two misdemeanor counts of sexual exploitation of a child, three counts of distributing harmful material to a minor and one count of obstructing identification.
Prosecutors allege three children, ages 12, 13 and 14, were near a pavilion at the park around 4:25 p.m. when they heard moaning noises coming from a bench where Rios was seated watching his phone. The children approached and asked what he was doing. Rios allegedly told them he was watching something and invited them to watch, according to Patch.
Rios then allegedly showed the children pornography playing on his phone while appearing to rub his genitals over his clothing, prosecutors said.
The children left the area and called police.
Officers arrived at the park shortly after and spoke with Rios. He is accused of giving officers a false name and repeatedly providing different ages and dates of birth, according to prosecutors.
Rios was taken into custody that evening. He appeared in First Appearance Court on Monday, Oct. 26, and was released with conditions barring him from contact with anyone under 18 and from entering any park facilities.
"The allegations that a grown man was not only watching pornography in a public park with children nearby, but then invited some of those children to watch with him are extremely disturbing," DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in a statement.
Westmont Chief of Police Brian Gruen said in a statement that he commended the children for their "quick thinking, courage, and immediate decision to alert law enforcement."
Rios is presumed innocent. The charges are allegations that have not been proven in court. No defense attorney response appears in public records as of publication.
Rios is scheduled to appear in court Nov. 23 before Judge Joseph Bugos.
