Two Palatine men were arrested Monday by McHenry County police after they attempted to meet an undercover officer posing as 16-year-old girl on a social networking site.
Thomas P. Corbin, 54, and Rick J. Corbin, 47, both of the 500 block of North Quentin Road, were charged with solicitation to meet a minor, traveling to meet a minor and grooming following a month long investigation.
Police said that Thomas P. Corbin initially contacted the investigator in July. Conversations led to Thomas soliciting the “girl” to meet at a hotel where drugs and alcohol would be provided. Thomas made arrangements for his brother, Rick J. Corbin to contact the purported juvenile, which resulted in Rick reserving a hotel room at an undisclosed location in McHenry.
On August 3, the meeting was set up between the undercover investigator, Thomas, and Rick at the hotel. Thomas and Rick arrived at the arranged location and were arrested without incident.
During the course of the investigation it was also determined that Thomas was wanted on a parole warrant from the Illinois Department of Corrections. Both men are being held on a $60,000 bond each and are scheduled to appear in court Aug. 9.
Now how does this not qualify as entrapment, though? Why would the police have a fake 16-year old on, presumably, Facebook, if not to be bait for these sorts of people? That's the textbook definition of entrapment.