An Urbana man was arrested Nov. 2 for traveling to meet a minor, solicitation of a child and criminal damage to state-supported property — all of which are Class 3 felonies.
The arrest was part of the Paxton Police Department’s ongoing sting operation targeting child predators.
On Oct. 17, Kyle Smith, 34, began communicating with someone he believed to be a minor but was actually an undercover officer. Through this online conversation, Smith arranged to meet the person he thought was a child.
On the evening of his arrest, Smith used a rideshare service to get to the arranged location, where he was met by law enforcement. Paxton police arrested Smith around 9:45 p.m. in the 800 block of South High Street.
The Paxton Police Department told WCIA that after his arrest, Smith began to resist by throwing his body on the quarter-panel of a squad car, causing over $500 of damage.
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Smith is set to appear in court at the Ford County Courthouse on Dec. 17 at 2 p.m.
