A truck driver from Iowa was arrested Sunday after he drove to the southwest suburbs expecting to meet a 13-year-old girl with whom he had allegedly solicited sex through cellphone text messages, Bridgeview police said.
Michael G. Bronkhorst, 46, was arrested about 2:15 p.m. at a fast-food restaurant near 77th Street and Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview, according to a news release from police.
Bronkhorst was charged with indecent solicitation of a child and traveling to meet a minor, both felonies, police said. Bronkhorst is scheduled to appear in Cook County bond court Monday.
Police were alerted to Bronkhorst by the girl’s parents, who noticed the texts on the teen’s phone. Detectives obtained permission from the parents to continue the text conversations with the girl’s phone. Bronkhorst drove his semi-truck and trailer from Iowa and walked into the restaurant to meet the girl, but instead he was arrested by police, police said.
Bridgeview police Chief Ricardo Mancha said that no harm came to the girl, who did not meet the suspect, according to the release.
Bridgeview detectives were assisted in the investigation by detectives from Oak Forest, Lyons and Forest Park, according to the release.
"The parents did the right thing and monitored their daughter’s use of the cellphone and who she was texting," Mancha said. "They immediately realized their daughter was being drawn into an inappropriate situation and called the police.
"This is a common problem and a reminder that parents need to monitor the texting and social media of their underaged children to protect them from predators."
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