SYCAMORE – A tutor with a program geared to help children go to college who wouldn’t otherwise have the means has been charged with sexually assaulting a child and accused of having inappropriate contact with more children, according to a news release from the DeKalb Police Department.
Flavio C. Leanos-Macias, 25, of DeKalb, has been charged with aggravated criminal sexual abuse, criminal sexual assault and traveling to meet a minor child, and unlawful grooming. The most serious charge, aggravated criminal sex abuse, is typically punishable by six to 30 years in prison, followed by four years of parole.
Multiple children have reported Leanos-Macias has had inappropriate sexual conversations with them, according to the release. A victim younger than 17 said Leanos-Macias had picked up the victim, whom he’d met on the Grindr app, at his residence May 12 and brought him to his apartment in the 800 block of Edgebrook Drive, where the child said he was sexually assaulted and driven home by Leanos-Macias the next day, the release says.
During an interview with an investigator Tuesday, Leanos-Macias said he’d had inappropriate contact with more children, and that he’d mentored DeKalb High School students as part of the Kishwaukee College Upward Bound Program. The release says, according to District 428 administrators, Leanos-Macias is not currently mentoring students.
Another child, younger than 16, came forward Tuesday and told police he’d met Leanos-Macias on another app, Hornet, and that they’d had conversations over a 10-day span that included Leanos-Macias trying to convince the child to engage in sexual activity.
Kayte Hamel, director of marketing and public relations for Kishwaukee College, said Leanos-Macias was hired April 5, and that the program does thorough background checks, including checks for any felony, misdemeanor, motor vehicle registry history.
DeKalb Police investigators have reason to believe that there may be more victims. If you have any information regarding this investigation or information regarding other potential victims, please contact the DeKalb Police Department or Crime Stoppers.
This story will be updated.