(Rock Island, IL) -- A Bettendorf man is found guilty of trying to lure a child into his car in Rock Island back in October.
Rock Island County court records show Judge Frank Fuhr found 42 year old Jason Rottman guilty of child abduction during a bench trial on Tuesday.
The charge is a Class 4 felony punishable by one to three years in prison. Rottman remains in the Rock Island County Jail on a $25,000 bail as of Wednesday.
Investigators say the attempted abduction happened on October 11th in the 2400 block of McMillan Court in Rock Island. According to court records, officers learned the child, then 5 year old, was outside riding his bike and fell. Investigators say that's when Rottman approached the boy.
A witness said he heard Rottman tell the child to come with him and that the child said, “I don’t know you.” According to court records, the witness said Rottman then said, “get in the f****** car,” and the child ran into his home.
Rottman began to walk away, but was confronted by a Unity Point security staff member. An officer spoke with Rottman, who said he saw the boy fall off the bike and had a similar fall when he was younger. He said he was trying to help the boy and denied trying to abduct him, according to court records.
Rottman will be sentenced on March 29th.
(Photo by KWQC)