A convicted sexual predator, who was on parole and wearing an ankle monitor, is charged with sexually assaulting a young child on numerous occasions in Gurnee and Waukegan.
Yusef I. Hakeem, 39, of Waukegan, was charged with three counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, a Class X felony.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Kailey Hopkins said a mother called 911 on November 9 to report her daughter, who is under the age of 10, had been sexually touched by Hakeem.
Officers learned Hakeem would help the mother with her children and the house.
Hakeem had come to her house earlier in the day and he went to take a nap with the woman’s two children, Hopkins said.
The mother opened the bedroom door later and saw Hakeem sleeping with the minor female.
She went back in the room shortly later and saw Hakeem sitting up hunched over.
Hopkins said Hakeem left 10 minutes later to go to work, at which point the girl came out of the bedroom crying and told her mother that Hakeem touched her in the genital area.
The girl was sleeping and had woken up to the assault, Hopkins said.
The incident was occurring when the mother walked into the room but the girl said Hakeem continued his actions despite the mother opening the door, Hopkins said.
The victim reported that Hakeem had touched her before, including when the mother went to the hospital in September and she was staying with Hakeem at his Waukegan residence.
The victim said she was sleeping at the Waukegan residence but woken up before Hakeem assaulted her, Hopkins said. She also described a third assault that also occurred at the Waukegan residence.
Hopkins said the girl obtained a sexual assault examination at a children’s hospital and was interviewed at the Lake County Children’s Advocacy Center.
At the time of the incidents, Hakeem, a registered sexual predator, was on parole for a 2014 child pornography case out of Lake County for which he received a 10-year sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC). He was also on an ankle monitor.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Hakeem pending trial, arguing there are no conditions to prevent Hakeem from committing more offenses against children.
Hakeem, who is representing himself in the case, made no argument during a detention hearing and did not speak.
Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim granted the state’s petition. The judge noted that Hakeem is on parole for a sex offense and has a prior armed robbery conviction.
Nerheim said the offense committed against the young child was a crime of violence. He noted that one of the assaults occurred even in the presence of the child’s mother despite her entering the room.
Hakeem is set to appear in court again on December 10 for a preliminary hearing.