Sailor stationed at Naval Station Great Lakes charged with sexual exploitation of minor

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Thursday, March 21, 2019

LAKE COUNTY, Ill. (WLS) -- Correction: The suspect in this case was previously misidentified as being from Naperville. The suspect, Ethan Charles Knez, is not from our area.

A sailor stationed at Naval Station Great Lakes is accused of convincing a 13-year-old girl he met online to send him sexually explicit photos.

Ethan Charles Knez, 21, is an active duty member of the U.S. Navy, according to court documents. He was charged with sexual exploitation of a minor.

Court documents also allege Knez admitted to committing similar crimes with at least 15 underage victims.

He is due in court Friday at the Dirksen Federal Building in Chicago.