GRANITE CITY, Ill. – A central Missouri man was arrested this week in connection with a child sex crime investigation in Granite City, Illinois.
According to Major Nick Novacich, assistant chief of police for the Granite City Police Department, a missing juvenile report was filed with the department on Aug. 7. The next day, police received information leading to the missing juvenile’s location.
Investigators contacted police in California, Missouri, who then found the juvenile at a residence and took a suspect, identified as Naresh Bass-Ocasio, into custody. The juvenile was returned to their family.
Granite City detectives drove to the Moniteau County Sheriff’s Department and interviewed Bass-Ocasio. Detectives requested Bass-Ocasio be held pending charges.
On Thursday, the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office charged Bass-Ocasio, 22, with three counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, three counts of traveling to meet a child, and one count of grooming. He’s being held at the Moniteau County Sheriff’s Department pending extradition to the Madison County Jail. His bond was set at $500,000.