Staff Report

ROCKFORD — A Bridgeview man is charged with sex crimes in Winnebago County after a months-long investigation, police reported Tuesday.

Samir Barakat, 38, is charged with criminal sexual assault, two counts of criminal sexual abuse and child pornography, allegations police say stem from a referral the Rockford Police Department received from Bridgeview Police last October regarding an alleged sexual assault of a child younger than 18 in the 1900 block of West Riverside Boulevard.

Barakat was arrested by U.S Marshals in Bridgeview Thursday, May 9, and later transported to Rockford. Police say he’s an acquaintance of the victim’s family. He’s currently lodged in the Winnebago County Jail. Bail is set at $100,000.