Man charged with sexually assaulting woman at Portage Park apartment

A 37-year-old Carol Stream man has been accused of choking and sexually assaulting a woman he hired for sex earlier this month at a Portage Park apartment.

The woman, who was working as an escort, was contacted by Joshua Kline on Aug. 1 and met him in front of an apartment building in the 5800 block of West Berteau Avenue, Cook County prosecutors said at a bail hearing Friday at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.

The woman asked for payment when she was brought inside the apartment and was told it was on a desk, prosecutors said. She found no money and told Kline she needed to leave.

Kline then grabbed her and held her in a chokehold, prosecutors said. When the woman went limp, he released her. She tried to use a can of pepper spray on him, but the can didn’t work, and choked her again until she passed out.

Kline brought her to a bed and sexually assaulted, prosecutors said. After the assault, Kline talked to the woman and allegedly told her he had previously “strangled” his girlfriend.

Prosecutors noted that Chicago police have an open investigation into a complaint filed in April by another woman alleging that Kline invited her to the same apartment building and choked her.

The woman in the more recent case told her boyfriend she was raped immediately after leaving the apartment and they contacted police and took her to a hospital, prosecutors said. Results of a sexual assault kit were still pending Friday.

The woman identified Kline as her attacker from a photo, prosecutors said. A witness also told investigators about getting a text message from Kline in which he said he had “choked a prostitute.” He also shared a photo of the woman he is accused of attacking with that witness.

Thomas Eric Ost, a private attorney for Kline, said he had known him for 14 years and had invited Kline over to his house many times.

Prosecutors previously said Kline lived at the apartment where the alleged assault took place, but Ost said he believed Kline lived in DuPage County.

A Chicago police report listed a home address on Blair Court in Carol Stream for Kline and showed he was arrested Wednesday in Villa Park.

Ost said Kline’s mother and a friend contacted him after Kline was taken into custody and that his family could post $1,000 bond. Kline recently lost his job with a delivery company, he added.

Judge David Navarro set Kline’s bond at $10,000 and scheduled his next court date for Dec. 19.