PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — A 16-year-old Pekin girl gave tearful testimony at times when she described how a 35-year-old Peoria tattoo parlor owner instigated sexual messages over Snapchat.

The testimony came at the start of Mario E. Davis' trial, where he faces one count of grooming, a felony that could send him to prison for up to three years.

Davis allegedly sent several illicit messages in the early morning hours of Feb. 12 after the teen accepted a friend request from him.

The conversation started innocently, but quickly turned sexual. The girl did tell him that she was 16, and Davis, said Assistant State's Attorney Brian FitzSimons, kept going with the conversation.

Defense attorney Gary Morris countered that his client was being set up by someone who had hacked into his account and p

See Full Page