A Wisconsin sex offender traveled to the Middle East to try and join ISIS , but came back after he failed to cross the Turkey-Syria border , authorities have claimed . Joshua Van Haften , 34 , of Madison , was arrested Wednesday night at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago after returning on a flight from Turkey . He has now been charged in a criminal complaint with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization . Joshua Van Haften , 34 , of Madison , Wisconsin ( pictured left in his mugshot on Wednesday and right in 2010 when he registed on the sex offender 's list ) has been accused of flying to ISIS in a failed attempt to join ISIS . The criminal complaint , which had been under seal since Oct. 28 , alleges that Van Haften talked to people about his plan before leaving the United States in August for Istanbul . The complaint cites Facebook posts from Van Haften that said he was unable to cross the border from Turkey into Syria . In one post , Van Haften complained that the people who were supposed to help him just wanted his money , that he had almost no cash left and that he was dropped off on a road in the country and never picked up . Wisconsin court records showed several previous convictions for Van Haften , including felony battery in 1998 , second degree felony sexual assault in 1999 and disorderly conduct , a misdemeanor , in 2007 , online court records show . He was apprehended at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago on Wednesday after getting off a return flight from Syria ( file picture ) All of the offenses occurred in Rock County . Van Haften was sentenced to three years ' probation on the battery conviction in 1998 , but his probation was revoked in 1999 and he was sentenced to a year in jail . He was sentenced to eight years ' probation on the sexual assault charge in 1999 , but that was revoked in 2000 . He was then sentenced to seven years in prison . Assistant Attorney General Carlin from the Department of Justice said stopping people from traveling to the region to join the Islamic State is a 'top priority ' . She said in a statement : 'Stemming the flow of foreign fighters to Iraq and Syria and holding accountable those who attempt to provide material support to designated foreign terrorist organizations remains a top priority for the National Security Division . '
Joshua Van Haften , 34 , was apprehended by authorities on Wednesday . Landed at O'Hare International Airport following a return flight from Turkey . Allegedly posted on Facebook he could n't cross the Turkey-Syria border . He claimed people just wanted his money and that they were going to kill him if he did not pay them back in cash or bitcoins.