A man convicted of trying to arrange a sexual rendezvous three years ago with a teenage girl from Naperville is back in jail, for allegedly violating the terms of his probation in that case.
Romeoville resident Kevin T. Zebell is being held in Will County Jail in Joliet on $300,000 bail, after a judge allowed the Will County state’s attorney’s office to pursue revocation of the terms of his sentencing and probation in the sex case.
Records on file in Will County Circuit Court showed Zebell on Aug. 5 allegedly violated his probation, reportedly by failing to undergo or continue with court-mandated counseling or treatment. Prosecutors on Aug. 18 filed a petition to revoke the terms of Zebell’s probation, according to records.
Zebell, 36, then allegedly failed to appear for a scheduled Aug. 26 court date, records indicated. He was in court Wednesday, when Associate Judge Edward A. Burmila set his new bail, records showed.
A joint investigation by members of the Naperville and Lockport police departments and the Will County sheriff’s office led to Zebell being charged with the Aug. 10, 2011, attempted arrangement of a sexual tryst with a Naperville girl.
Detective Rich Wistocki, of the Naperville police High Technology Crimes Unit, said that in 2011 a man from the city’s southwest side was monitoring his then-16-year-old daughter’s Facebook account when he “observed some inappropriate messages” from Zebell “that were sexual in nature.”
Investigators began monitoring Zebell’s communications with the girl, Wistocki said. Zebell ultimately arranged to meet her at a business in Lockport, and was arrested there on the day of the anticipated rendezvous.
Zebell, who once served as a sergeant with the Emergency Services and Disaster Agency in Romeoville, was convicted March 1, 2012, of felony charges of indecent solicitation of a child and grooming. He was sentenced to 180 days in jail, placed on two-and-a-half years probation and ordered to pay $1,190 in fines and legal fees.
Records indicated Zebell is scheduled to return to court Thursday on the alleged probation violation.