People v. Vara

Defendant was convicted, after bench trial, of grooming, based on text message he sent to 11-year-old girl, saying that he wanted to commit sexual acts with her. Under plain language of Section 11-25(a) of Criminal Code of 2012, a defendant commits grooming when he seduces, solicits, entices, or lures a child to engage in sexual conduct with the defendant, including conduct that constitutes predatory criminal sexual assault, in order that defendant could commit a sex offense. (BURKE and BIRKETT, concurring.)