California Man Arrested for Meeting Sangamon County Minor

A California man has been arrested for traveling to Sangamon County to meet a minor for sexual acts.

In September 2022, the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office was notified that an adult male had been communicating with a Sangamon County-area minor child using an online platform.  The adult male distributed the minor’s nude images on social media.  It was also reported he had traveled from out of state to meet with the minor for sexual acts.   

The Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office - Investigations Division opened an investigation, and after gathering digital evidence, detectives identified the suspect as 24-year-old Matthew M. Rodriguez of Sylmar, California.

Evidence showed he traveled from the State of California to Sangamon County to meet with the minor.  After completing an extensive investigation, the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office transferred the case to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) due to the federal offense of crossing state lines to meet a minor.

On April 3, 2024, Rodriguez was arrested at a residence in Springfield and charged with transportation of minors, enticement of a minor, and ​transfer of obscene material to a minor.

The Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office thanked the Sangamon County Child Advocacy Center, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Attorney’s Office - Central District of Illinois for their assistance.