SOUTH ROXANA — A complaint from a mother taking her child to grade school led to the arrest of a South Roxana man accused of committing an act of public indecency in the presence of a juvenile within 500 feet of a school, police said Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
He now faces two charges from the Madison County State's Attorney's Office:
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Count I: Sexual Exploitation of a Child (720 ILCS 5/11-9.1(a)(1)).
Count II: Public Indecency (720 ILCS 5/11-30(a)(2)).
South Roxana Police Chief Bob Coles said Darren K. Noel, 60, was arrested the night of Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, and is being held at the Madison County Jail pending his initial court appearance.
The department's investigation into the complaint resulted in the following charges from the Madison County State's Attorney's Office:
“Our families and children should be safe at school and in our community from this type of alleged conduct. Anyone who threatens to harm our children will be held accountable,” Coles said.
Coles thanked the state’s attorney’s office for its assistance and the family for reporting the incident.
A criminal charge is an accusation only. Noel is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
