Aurora Man Accused Of Sex Abuse Of Batavia Teen: Warrant

KANE COUNTY, IL — An Aurora man has been charged with grooming and sexual abuse after he allegedly planned a staged kidnapping to flee to Georgia with a 16-year-old Batavia girl, the Daily Herald reports. Anthony Popela, 21, of the 3000 block of Derby Court, is also accused of giving the girl a cell phone so they could talk illicitly without her parents knowing.

Police say Popela sent a message to the girl that read, "We have now developed the beginning of a foolproof plan but some of it depends on u Are you in?" A friend of the girl reportedly became aware of her plan to flee with Popela and told the teen's parents.

The teen ran away from home on Oct. 19 and was later found Popela's Aurora home. He was arrested in early November.A search warrant shed more details into the investigation, including information obtained by the Batavia Police Department from the girl's father who went through his daughter's phone and found "sexually explicit messages" between Popela and thegirl.

Popela, who is out on bond, is set to appear in court again on Nov. 20.

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