Sex Crimes

December 10, 2021

The People v. Ghislaine Maxwell

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

What happens when the main suspect of a prosecution kills himself before he can go to trial? The state will find the next culpable person and nail them to the wall. In terms of Jeffrey Epstein, that person is Ghislaine Maxwell. Epstein was accused of running a criminal scheme targeting underage girls for sexual abuse. Epstein would pay the girls for sex, have them tell their friends that he was paying for sex, and the girls would perform sexual favors for Epstein. Maxwell is believed to have helped Epstein organize and hide his activities. The defense claims that they are targeting Maxwell because they no longer have Epstein to convict. While their claim is likely true, it does not mean necessarily that she was not involved in a criminal conspiracy to target underage girls for sexual abuse.

Maxwell is accused of soliciting minors for Epstein during the early ’90s. By the 2000s, Epstein had already employed his pyramid scheme approach which avoided Maxwell’s involvement in recruiting girls to abuse.

Analyzing the Defense Strategy

October 27, 2021

Chicago Parks Boss Faces Charges for Sexual Abuse of Teen Lifeguard

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

A Chicago government official is being charged with having repeated sexual contact with a 16-year-old lifeguard. The administrator is 32 years old. This is the latest in an evolving scandal involving sexual misconduct against Chicago parks lifeguards, including allegations of sexual abuse and sexual assault. The park official will face two felony counts of criminal sexual assault and abuse of a minor victim. The employee quit his job after he was confronted with allegations of misconduct. He is the fourth park employee to resign over allegations of sexual misconduct this year.

The Bond Hearing

During the defendant’s bond hearing, which was set at $250,000, the attorney moved to reduce the bond amount to a tenth of that number or $25,000. In cases like this, it is typical for the prosecution to move for a very high bond amount. The defense moves to reduce the bond amount to something that is within the defendant’s means. The defense mentions specific aspects of the defendant’s life. This can include the fact that they have no criminal record, are gainfully employed, and have ties to the community. In this case, the prosecution responded to the bond reduction motion by reminding the court that the defendant knew that the victim was underage. Of course, this is simply an element of the crime they have to prove. You must knowingly have sex with someone who is considered a minor. A minor cannot dupe you into having sex by misrepresenting their age. Bond was not, however, reduced in this case. Nonetheless, the judge found that the defendant presented a “clear and present danger” to the community.

October 22, 2021

Man Accused of Sexually Assaulting Spa Worker

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

A 28-year-old man is facing charges of kidnapping, criminal sexual abuse, and criminal sexual assault after an attack on a spa worker. Police say that the woman was folding towels when the suspect entered the spa and forced her into another room. Video surveillance shows her being grabbed by the hair. A struggle ensued and eventually, the spa worker was able to escape. She called a friend from a nearby alleyway who eventually phoned the police.

Against the advice of his public defender, the suspect admitted to entering the spa but said the worker became upset with him when his credit card was declined after a massage. Video surveillance appears to show a man pulling the victim into a room by the hair. The same video shows the woman leaving the room to phone the police.

Against the advice of his counsel, the defendant will take the position that he was targeted by the complainant because he could not pay for the massage.

October 13, 2021

Gynecologist Pleads Guilty to Sexual Assault

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

Ever since the Larry Nassar allegations broke, more instances of doctors using the authority of their practice to commit sexual assault against patients have been revealed. USC recently lost a multi-million-dollar lawsuit over allegations that a campus gynecologist assaulted students. Still, other allegations have been made against EMTs who sexually abused patients who were critically ill. Claims have been made against VA doctors for sexual assault of former veterans. And now, a NorthShore University gynecologist has pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault against former patients.

The victims told police that the former doctor asked them inappropriate questions and touched them inappropriately. The doctor was sentenced to three years in prison with 170 days credited. More victims may have been present at the trial, but as of yet, only two have come forward. One of the victims said she only contacted police after similar allegations against the same doctor appeared on the News. Thus far, this doctor is facing nine civil complaints filed by former patients that he acted inappropriately. NorthShore is also facing allegations that they failed to act on reports of misconduct and allowed other patients to be assaulted.

Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse

August 11, 2021

Teen Found Dead After Sexual Assault

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

Two people are facing charges related to sexual assault and the concealment of a dead body. Police have charged a 40-year-old man and an 18-year-old girl with aggravated criminal sexual abuse, and manufacturing of child pornography, among other related charges. The 40-year-old man assaulted the teen girl while the 18-year-old videotaped the incident.

Police were called to the scene after an area person called in a body. The girl was pronounced dead at the scene. She was later identified as a girl who had been reported missing.

What Happened?

June 9, 2021

Kelly Attorneys Request to Withdraw Two Months Before Trial

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

Kelly’s attorneys have petitioned the court to withdraw from Kelly’s Chicago trial two months before the trial on racketeering charges is set to begin. According to the attorneys, they have asked to withdraw after two junior attorneys demanded a larger role in Kelly’s defense. The attorneys sent a letter to the presiding judge requesting withdrawal from the case. While they did not give their reasons, the letter indicated that it would be “impossible” to continue to represent Kelly.

Essentially, it appears as though two junior attorneys are being given a greater role in the criminal defense of Kelly, much to the chagrin of his head counsel. The judge can decide, if they are so inclined, to deny the request. The attorneys have requested a hearing to address the issue.

That could be the most likely outcome given that numerous delays have resulted in the forestalling of Kelly’s prosecution. It is unclear, however, that Kelly would benefit from another delay, as he has been incarcerated here in Chicago since January. He is currently charged with racketeering, numerous sex crimes, and coercing or influencing witnesses and jurors.

April 30, 2021

Sheriff’s Deputy Cleared of Child Molestation Charges

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

A police officer was cleared during a bench trial of all wrongdoing after the daughter of a former girlfriend accused him of inappropriately touching her. A Cook County judge found the officer not guilty. After the charges surfaced, the officer was “de-deputized” and placed on administrative leave without pay. A case to have the officer fired is still pending.

What is a Bench Trial?

A bench trial is a trial that is heard by a professional jurist as opposed to a jury of your peers. Most criminal defendants choose to avoid bench trials preferring to instead roll the dice with the public. However, police officers tend to choose bench trials, especially nowadays, when public sentiment toward police is at an all-time low. Choosing to have your case heard by a judge is an option when you think a professional jurist would be more likely to rule in your favor than a jury of your peers.

December 23, 2020

Former Police Officer Investigated for Child Porn

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

A former Rolling Hills police officer is under federal investigation after authorities discovered that the man had been using an online dating app to either get underage girls to send him pornographic pictures of themselves or arrange to have sex with these girls. While the investigation has yet to lead to any charges, a 2019 affidavit seeking to search the former officer’s home was unsealed recently. The affidavit appeared to contain transcripts of conversations between the defendant and underage girls offering money for sex.

The officer was linked to an account on the dating site Seeking Arrangements which had several complaints filed against it for child exploitation. The website markets itself as a “Sugar Daddy” website on which ostensibly younger women can find rich older men. Why such a site would allow minors to have accounts in the first place is another matter for consideration. The officer’s account was closed after the complaints were filed against him. While the officer has resigned from the police force amid the allegations, he is not named in the news due to the fact that he was not charged with any crime.

How Was the Officer Caught?

December 11, 2020

Chicago Sergeant Sues Wisconsin Police

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

It is not safe for anyone out there anymore. Even other police officers are being abused at the hands of the law. Perhaps this will be the wake-up call that everyone needs that the situation, as it stands, is untenable, unsustainable, and unjust.

Sgt. Jose Garcia was arrested in Wisconsin for “inappropriately touching” a 15-year-old girl. The girl was a family friend. Garcia said he was only horsing around in a water park pool with her and five other children, four of whom were his own.

The incident occurred in 2016. By 2018, Wisconsin prosecutors had dropped the sexual assault charges against Garcia, saying that they would be “unable to prove” the charges against him. Garcia’s records were expunged and sealed from the public.

November 27, 2020

High School Teacher Fired for Inappropriate Conduct With Students

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

Female teachers having inappropriate relationships with male students grab all the headlines. However, the reverse is actually far more prevalent, and this is perhaps why it grabs fewer headlines than the same type of crime committed by females. Recently, a male teacher at Bartlett High School has been fired after reports surfaced of misconduct with students dating back to 2008. The teacher had been with the school for over 25 years. In this article, we will discuss the circumstances that led to his discharge and arrest.

What Happens Now?

Currently, the situation is still under investigation. The school board reached a unanimous decision to fire the teacher and recommended that his teaching license be revoked. They simultaneously filed reports with the Illinois Department of Children and Families, the Board of Education, and forwarded the results of their investigation to the State’s attorney. Thus far, however, no sex crime charges have been filed. That could change soon.