THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2008

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Minister Accused Of Solicitation

By RICHARD MAYER

Journal Reporter

A Prospect Heights minister was charged with one count of indecent solicitation of a child, after Chicago police and members of the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force arrested the preacher on Tuesday, Apr. 22 in Chicago.

According to Cook County State's Attorney spokesman Tandra Simonton, Young S. Yoo, 51, of the 1600 block of W. Concord Dr. in Arlington Heights, was arrested after he allegedly arranged to have sex with someone he thought was a 14-year-old girl he met on the Internet. Yoo has been an ordained minister for the past nine years at Kurutuki Korean Methodist Church, 307 W. Hintz Rd. in Prospect Heights, according to authorities.

Beginning Tuesday, Apr. 15, Simonton said an undercover detective began chatting online pretending to be a 14-year-old girl. Yoo began talking to the "girl," was aware of "her" so-called age, and allegedly asked the girl to engage in sexual acts with him.

"The conversation continued for a few days and then a meeting was arranged one week later on Apr. 22 at a bakery," said Simonton.

Police arrested Yoo outside the bakery's location and after a search was conducted, found him with copies of the Internet conversations and a key for a hotel room where he planned to take the girl.