Social worker charged with sexual misconduct at Elgin Mental Health Center

A 53-year-old South Elgin woman who worked as a social worker at a mental health center in the northwest suburbs is accused of sexual misconduct with a patient.

Christy L. Lenhardt is charged with eight counts of sexual misconduct with a person with disabilities and six counts of officials misconduct, all felonies, according to the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office.

On multiple occasions between November 2014 and July 2017, Lenhardt engaged in sexual conduct with a patient at the center while working as a social worker for the Illinois Department of Human Services at the Elgin Mental Health Center, the state’s attorney’s office said.

Prosecutors said Lenhardt was aware that sexual conduct with patients was illegal.

She was taken into custody Wednesday morning on an arrest warrant that set her bail at $100,000, prosecutors said. She will appear in court April 20 at the Kane County Judicial Center.

An investigation by Illinois State Police is ongoing.