Convicted sex offender arrested in Joliet for allegedly taking photographs of minors

Joliet — Joliet police have arrested convicted sex offender Farrell Theis, 61, of Romeoville, for allegedly photographing minors in a Joliet Park District facility.

Officers were called to the Joliet Park District at 3000 W. Jefferson St. the morning of Feb. 2 due to a “suspicious incident,” according to a news release sent Wednesday from the Joliet Police Department.

Police arrived at the scene shortly before 9 a.m. and were told that earlier that morning, “a male was suspected of taking photographs with his phone of high school-age males that were using the facility’s pool,” according to the release.

Police said the man was confronted by a staff member, and it was determined that he was an employee of a third-party vending service at the facility sent to replenish the vending machines.

Officers investigated the incident and identified Theis, a previously convicted child sex offender, as the suspect, police said.

Officers searched Theis’ cellphone and recovered photos from the incident, police said.

An arrest warrant for Theis was obtained Monday for child photography by a sex offender, and he was placed into custody after a traffic stop by Joliet officers in Romeoville on Tuesday, police said.

Theis has been processed and was released on a notice to appear in court.