BRIEF: Matteson man, 73, charged with sexually assaulting boys and taking explicit photos of them

Nov. 09--A Matteson has been was charged with predatory criminal sexual assault and taking explicit images of some of his victims, according to the Cook County sheriff's office.

Investigators were contacted in July after relatives of one victim found explicit photos on a camera belonging to Joseph Minarik, 73, officials said.

Investigators discovered that Minarik had sexually assaulted several boys at his home in the 600 block of Tanglewood Road in unincorporated Matteson from 2012 to 2017, the office said in a release.

After executing a search warrant of his home, officials found child pornography that included images of two victims, the office said.

Minarik was taken into custody Nov. 6 and charged with sexually assaulting three victims under the age of 13, officials said.

He faces two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault, one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, two counts of manufacturing child pornography and two counts of possession of child pornography, the release said.

Minarik was denied bail Wednesday during a hearing at the Markham courthouse.

The sheriff's office asked anyone with information about Minarik to contact the sheriff's police at 708-865-4896.

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