Man Charged in Chicago and Montana for Stalking and Cyber-stalking Teen

 Posted on August 10, 2012 in Criminal Defense

Robert Parelius, 56, of Bozeman, Montana, faces multiple charges in both his hometown and in Chicago for allegedly stalking a Chicago teenager for over a year. In Montana he was arrested and charged with sexually soliciting two boys, ages 13 and 15, who live in Chicago. He was ordered held on $50,000 bail.

According to the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, prosecutors told the court that the Chicago Police Department contacted the Bozeman Police Department in April, seeking their assistance in locating Parelius, who they alleged had been making phone calls and sexually soliciting the two young boys. When Bozeman Police confronted him, Parelius admitted that he had made the calls, as well as contacting three other boys.

Police reports say that Parelius, who moved to Montana from Chicago last year, also admitted that after seeing the boys playing in a park, he researched to find out who they were and where they lived. During Parelius’ arrest, police confiscated nude pictures of young boys and girls, as well as rosters for junior football teams from the Bozeman and Belgrade Montana areas, as well as the Chicago area.

A few days later, Parelius was in a Chicago courtroom. Prosecutors there told the judge that after Parelius ran into the boy at a local 7-Eleven in May 2011, he tracked down the boy’s name and address. He began calling the boy’s home, saying he was a friend. The Chicago Tribune reported that the calls and messages began to escalate in March, with Parelius leaving voice mail messages that he knew where the boy lived, which school he attended and where the two of them could meet up. His bail in Chicago was set at $1 million.

If convicted, Parelius faces up to 100 years in prison. Stalking and cyber-stalking are very serious crimes. If you are accused of stalking, consult with an experienced criminal attorney in Cook County who can defend your rights.