Burbank Man Held on $1M Bail for Arranging Sex with 13-Year-Old on Social Media: Cops

A 47-year-old, self-employed landscaper arranged a hookup with a 13-year-old Cicero girl for sex at his Burbank apartment, prosecutors said in court on Friday.

Matthew Smith appeared before Cook County Judge Peter Felice in Bridgeview where he was charged with felony aggravated criminal sexual assault of a child.

Smith befriended the girl several years ago on Lobby Chat, a chat room app which allows users to talk anonymously in different chat rooms, according to the charges. Smith and the girl eventually moved their online communications to Facebook and began calling and texting each other.

Prosecutors said Smith arranged to meet the girl through the popular teen social app Kik messenger. Smith allegedly sent a cab to pick up the girl at her home on June 8 to bring her to his Burbank residence. The girl’s parents said she did not have permission to take a cab from Cicero to Burbank.

There, Smith had unprotected sexual intercourse with the girl several times. They met again the next day at his residence, where Smith again had intercourse with the girl, prosecutors alleged.

Smith, who was arrested June 11, reportedly admitted to police he knew the girl was underage. Prosecutors also said that Smith had no prior criminal background.

“I’ve heard enough,” Judge Felice said after hearing the details of the charges.

The judge set bail at $1 million for the Burbank man. He is due back in court on July 9.