Man Allegedly Thinks He's Going To Meet 12-Year-Old for Sex, Finds Angry Dad with a Knife Instead

There may be no greater rage than that of a father protecting his daughter — and one man is lucky to still be alive after what a dad in Illinois allegedly discovered last month.

According to WMAQ, the father made a chilling find after checking his 12-year-old daughter’s phone: An adult man was messaging her for sex. It’s every dad’s nightmare scenario, but in this case it was even more serious.

Cook County prosecutors say that the suspect, 29-year-old Danny Garay, had already committed sex crimes with the young girl when the message was found.

Authorities outlined a chain of events that ended with the father holding an accused rapist at knifepoint until police arrived.

Prosecutors allege that a 19-year-old female used video chat website Omegle on Aug. 6 to invite Garay to her house “where the two had sex in front of the 12-year-old,” according to the Chicago-Sun Times.

“Garay then asked the girl if she wanted to have sex and she said no. Garay, who knew the girl’s age, had sex with her anyways,” the outlet continued.

The details of the alleged crime spree become only more disturbing from there.

“The following day, Garay got a motel room and invited the 19-year-old and the 12-year-old over,” the news station reported, citing prosecutors.

Authorities say that the adult man then forced the 12-year-old girl to perform sex acts with him and the teenage woman.

Less than a week later, the suspect reportedly texted the underage girl again — but this time, the phone was in her dad’s hand.

Showing remarkable restraint in not taking out his rage on the alleged rapist, the unnamed father kept a cool enough head to set a trap.

“The girl’s father had her phone and texted Garay back telling him to come over,” WMAQ said. “When Garay arrived at the home, the girl’s father held Garay at knifepoint until police arrived.”

Of course, the suspect will have his day in court, but it looks like there’s strong evidence linking him to the alleged crimes. In addition to the text messages, the 12-year-old identified the man in a photo lineup.

Even more damning: “The 19-year-old admitted to detectives that Garay and the girl had had sex and that he knew the girl’s age, prosecutors said. The 19-year-old woman was identified as a witness in court and is not currently facing charges,” the news station reported.

While the 19-year-old woman may not be facing jail time, Garay certainly is: He was arrested and charged with two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault.

Cases like these are disturbing reminders that there is evil in the world. Sometimes it’s important to cover them not to promote fear, but rather to shine a light and remind ourselves to be vigilant and careful.

Hopefully, justice will keep this accused attacker off the streets for a very long time, and the young victim can move forward with healing.