The Illinois State Police (ISP) arrested a registered child sex offender earlier this week at a church Halloween Trunk or Treat event in St. Anne, IL.
On October 28, 2026, ISP arrested 52-year-old Mitchel R. DeYoung of St. Anne, IL after he was located at a Trunk or Treat event. DeYoung is charged with eight counts of Failure to Register as a Child Sex Offender (Class 2 Felony), one count of Child Sex Offender in a School Zone (Class 4 Felony), and one count of Child Sex Offender Participation in a Holiday Event (Class 4 Felony). He is being held at the Kankakee County Jail pending his first court appearance.
Registered sex offenders are prohibited from passing out candy on Halloween. They may not appear in a Halloween costume or other child-centered holiday character, such as Santa or the Easter Bunny, in public.
Before heading out for trick-or-treating, parents and guardians can check for registered sex offenders in their area on the ISP Sex Offender Registry website at ? https://sor.isp.illinois.gov/sorpublic/map. The interactive website allows users to track offenders’ home addresses, which sends notifications to participants when a registered offender moves in or out of a given radius around the provided address.
When trick-or-treating, children should be supervised by a trusted adult and should never enter strangers’ homes or vehicles. ISP urges trick-or-treaters to travel in well-lit areas and in groups.
