Former Chicago police detective accused of forcing sex on trafficking victim

A former Chicago police detective is accused of forcing a woman to have sex after he was assigned to investigate an attack against her at a CTA Red Line station last year.

The detective repeatedly threatened the woman and at one point told her, “You are going to jail for being a whore,” according to the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, which oversees the conduct of officers and released a report of its investigation Friday.

COPA recommended the detective be fired, but he resigned in January after being confronted with COPA’s report, according to the police department. The Sun-Times is not naming the detective because the department filed no formal charges against him.

The detective had been assigned to investigate an attack on the woman on March 3, 2021. While interviewing her, the detective learned she was a victim of sex trafficking and was living in a homeless shelter, COPA said.

He showed up at her room March 6 and “began to flirt” with her, took her to dinner and then gave her $100 before leaving, according to COPA.

On March 16, after sending her text messages, the detective showed up while on duty, took her to his car and had sex with her, then went back to her room and had sex with her again, COPA said. He gave her another $100, the agency said.

The woman told COPA she felt “stuck” and was afraid to turn down the detective’s demands. He picked her up again on March 22, and when she refused his advances, called her a “whore” and grabbed her neck and arm, according to COPA.

The woman told the agency she freed herself and called an Uber for a ride home. She later called the detective’s wife, which led to an internal review and the investigation by COPA.

The agency said it sustained the woman’s complaint based on video footage, text messages, call logs and a video call during which the detective exposed himself.

“His conduct demonstrates a lack of sound judgment and self-control, severely undermines confidence in the Department, and brings profound discredit to the department,” COPA concluded.

The police department had no immediate comment about COPA’s report.