A 31-year-old man has been arrested after he allegedly sexually assaulted a 6-year-old child multiple times when the boy would go to a home daycare in Round Lake Beach, authorities said.
The Round Lake Beach Police Department began an investigation after a child disclosed to one of their parents that they had been sexually assaulted at their babysitter’s home, according to Round Lake Beach Police Chief Ryan Rodriguez.
The incident happened in the 400 block of Meadow Green Lane in Round Lake Beach.
The parent of the juvenile made a report with the police department, which then notified the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), Rodriguez said.
The child was interviewed by a forensic interviewer at the Lake County Children’s Advocacy Center.
It was learned that a family member of the babysitter sexually assaulted the child on multiple occasions, Rodriguez said.
Detectives conducted a comprehensive investigation involving the residence and occupants, which included interviews with the babysitter and the alleged suspect.
The facts and circumstances of the investigation were reviewed by the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Dequail Johnson, 31, of Round Lake Beach, was charged with four counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, a Class X felony.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Dino Katris said the child, who was six years old when the assaults began, reported that he would go into Johnson’s bedroom to play video games and Johnson would inappropriately touch him while committing sex acts on him.
The victim said the assaults always occurred in the bedroom and that Johnson would hold the juvenile down so he could not get away, Katris said. It happened on at least five occasions.
Johnson would show the child sexually explicit material on his phone and also told the victim to keep it a secret, Katris said.
Katris said Johnson’s mother has an at-home daycare in the home. She corroborated the dates that Johnson had access to the child and reported that the two sometimes played video games in his bedroom.
Katris said more victims have come forward to report sexual abuse by Johnson. “This defendant is dangerous. He’s causing irreparable emotional and psychological damage to these kids,” the prosecutor said in court.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Johnson, who was arrested last month, and Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim granted the request during a detention hearing.
A public defender for Johnson unsuccessfully argued for his client’s release, saying that he did not believe it was a home daycare and it was rather Johnson’s mother babysitting some children from the nearby area, which she no longer does.
Rodriguez said the investigation remains ongoing and anyone with information that may assist is asked to contact the Round Lake Beach Police Department at 847-270- 9111.
Johnson remains held in the Lake County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court again on July 22 for a case management conference.