Caught: Marshals nab Swansea man accused of raping, videotaping girl

U.S. marshals on Thursday afternoon captured the man who is accused of binding, raping and videotaping a 10-year-old Swansea girl.

Gary M.J. “Mikel” Grodin, 32, was charged Wednesday in St. Clair County Court with 15 counts of predatory criminal sexual assault and 18 counts of manufacturing child pornography.

U.S. marshals caught Grodin, who was on the run, in Tulsa, Okla., walking on a street, according to Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Tom Woods. At the time of his arrest, Grodin was with a woman, who was not identified. She was also taken into custody due to unrelated warrants.

“This alleged sexual predator was taken into custody due to the close working relationship between the Swansea Police Department and the U.S. Marshal’s Service in the Southern District of Illinois. We offer a special thanks to U.S. Marshal Don Slaznik and his dedicated group of Marshals,” Swansea Police Chief Steve Johnson said.

Woods didn’t immediately have details of the arrest that occurred sometime around 2 p.m. on Thursday.

“Ninety-nine percent of the people we are looking for we find because a family member, friend, associate, business partner tells us where he is,” Woods said.

Grodin has addresses in Tulsa, Okla. He also has an extensive criminal history in Oklahoma, dating back to 2002. On his Facebook page, Grodin wrote that he graduated from Bixby High School in a suburb of Tulsa.

Grodin’s bail in the case is set at $1 million.

Extradition procedures to bring Grodin back to Illinois from Oklahoma will begin soon, Johnson said. A timeline for that process was not immediately known.

Grodin is accused of raping the 10-year-old girl over the course of at least two months. He was living with the girl’s mother in Swansea.

The police investigation began after Grodin sent a friend a Facebook message saying that he was in love with the elementary school girl and was having sex with her. The friend called police.

During an interview watched by police and prosecutors, the girl told police that Grodin would make her get undressed, touch her, then use zip-ties to restrain her arms so she couldn’t cover herself and take pictures, according to an application for a search warrant filed Tuesday by Swansea Police Detective Peter Wszalek.

During an examination of Grodin’s cellphone, police found numerous video clips and photos showing the girl engaged in sexual activities with a man whom police say is Grodin, according to reports filed by Wszalek.

As of Wednesday, the child was with her mother and receiving counseling, Johnson said. The mother did not know about the assaults, Johnson said, and was distraught after learning of the abuse.

Marshals are also helping local police search for Larry Alverson, of Belleville.

Alverson was on parole for breaking into homes and fondling women and teen-age girls. He cut off the ankle bracelet used to track his movements while on parole and went on the lam, Belleville police said.

Belleville police began searching for Alverson on Monday after they received a report from an employee at a medical office that she spotted Alverson masturbating in public. When police went to his address, they found the ankle monitor had been removed and notified the marshal’s service.

Alverson was on parole for criminal trespass to a residence and sentenced to two years in prison. The original charges were unlawful restraint and residential burglary. An order of protection stated Alverson came to the home in the 500 block of S. 22^nd Street in Belleville to fix a faucet. The resident’s 16-year-old daughter told her mother that Alverson tried to rape her.

Alverson had other convictions for breaking into two women’s homes and fondling them as they slept. One was sleeping beside her husband. In 2003, Alverson was accused of breaking into a home and fondling a sleeping 14-year-old. When the girl awoke and started screaming, police said Alverson covered her mouth and when she didn’t quiet down he began choking her.

Alverson has connections to Ohio.

Alverson was charged Monday with escape and criminal damage to property. He was also charged with public indecency. He was still at large on Thursday. His bail is set at $250,000.

This story was originally published July 16, 2015 at 12:03 PM with the headline "Caught: Marshals nab Swansea man accused of raping, videotaping girl."