Sex Predator Joseph Brace Arrested Tuesday Night By Forest Preserve

A Joliet man was arrested Tuesday night by Will County's Forest Preserve Police Department on charges of being a sexual predator loitering in a public park, a misdemeanor crime. Jail logs indicate Joseph K. Brace, 39, was booked into Will County's jail around 11 p.m. and released on his own recognizance less than four hours later. According to Forest Preserve Police Lt. Dave Barrios, officers on routine late-night patrol noticed someone behind a garbage can near one of the bathrooms along the Old Plank Road Trail on Joliet's east side. The area of the incident was near Washington Street and Briggs Streets. The forest preserve property closes to the public at dark. The Old Plank Road Trail spans more than 20 miles and includes Joliet, New Lenox, Frankfort and several other communities.

At the trail, forest preserve officers determined that Brace is classified as a sexual predator on the state's offender registry. Brace told them that he knows he is not supposed to be visiting any public parks or forest preserves as part of his conviction guidelines, Barrios told Joliet Patch. Brace indicated he was inside the forest preserve property to smoke cigarettes and that he was tying his shoes, according to Barrios. Police believe that he may have walked to get there.

Jail logs from Will County indicate that Brace resides in the 300 block of Oakview Avenue. However, the state of Illinois public sex offender registry lists Brace as being a homeless resident of Joliet. Brace's conviction of aggravated sexual abuse came in the state of Florida. He was 27 years old at the time of his crime and his victim was only 13 years old, the registry showed.

Brace was also arrested in June by the Joliet Police Department on felony charges of burglary and possession of burglary tools.

Booking mugshot via Will County Sheriff's Department