Former Chicago Park District Supervisor Charged In Sexual Assault

Chicago IL

28 October, 2021

2:17 PM

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CHICAGO — A 32-year-old Chicago man has been arrested in charged with two counts of criminal sexual assault after the former Park District employee assaulted a 16-year-old girl who was his subordinate, Chicago Police said Thursday. Mauricio Ramirez is being held on $500,000 bond after he was charged with one count of criminal sexual assault of a minor and with one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a minor, prosecutors announced. Ramirez is scheduled to next appear in court on Nov. 17. Ramirez arrested on Wednesday afternoon and was charged in connection with sexually assaulting the girl who was his subordinate. Officials said Thursday that Ramirez was the girl's supervisor when she was hired as a lifeguard this summer and was told by the girl she was a high school junior. Prosecutors said that on two occasions between July and September, Ramirez picked the girl up from school, pulled his vehicle over and sexually assaulted her before taking her home. Officials also said he sexually assaulted the girl in August after picking her up from work in August. Officials said that on one occasion this summer, the girl snuck out of her house at 2 a.m., was met by Ramirez, who then sexually assaulted her before taking her to school. Ramirez is also accused of sexually assaulting the girl twice after picking her up from work on Sept. 26 and then took her home. The girl then told her parents what had happened the next day, prosecutors said. Her parents then called the police. WBEZ, which broke the story of the alleged abuse of female lifeguards by Chicago Park District employees, reported that Ramirez quit his job on Oct. 4 when officials were presented when allegations of the abuse were reported. The Chicago radio station reported that Ramirez is the fourth park district employee to resign over the allegations. WBEZ has previously reported that the park district has been investigating allegations of sexual abuse since the early part of 2020. Mike Kelly, the head of the Chicago Park District, resigned earlier this month after Mayor Lori Lightfoot demanded he be fired over his handling over the scandal involving the reported sexual assault and harassment of lifeguards. Dozens of female lifeguards had complained that they were assaulted or harassed by supervisors, but said nothing was done, according to multiple media reports. Ramirez had worked for the park district since 2012, WBEZ reported, and that a report was filed Sept. 27 after a 16-year-old victim underwent a sexual forensic examination at a Chicago hospital. The station reported that Ramirez was 31 at the time of the alleged sexual assault involving the girl. Park District officials said earlier this year that more than 40 employees connected to the Beaches and Pools unit have been disciplined. Among the 40 were nine employees that were linked to the sexual misconduct investigation.