COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — A Glendale Heights man was ordered held on $50,000 bond Friday after allegedly sexually assaulting a teenage member of his church's youth group.
Police charged Michael Rivera, 22, with criminal sexual assault of a 17-year-old girl.
Prosecutors said Rivera, a Youth Group leader, drove the girl and her 13-year-old nephew home after a group meeting at their church on October 4. Rivera came into the home, near the intersection of North Kedvale Avenue and West Kamerling Avenue, and began playing videogames with the 13-year-old boy.
About 1 a.m., the girl's mother and sister, who were the only other people in the home, went to bed, and the girl fell asleep with her head on Rivera's shoulder, prosecutors said.
When the girl decided to go to bed, Rivera offered to walk her to her room where he allegedly forced sexual contact. The 13-year-old boy walked into the room where he saw Rivera zip up his pants, prosecutors said. The boy and Rivera then continued to play videogames, prosecutors said.
A short time later, Rivera entered the girl's room again where he allegedly forced sexual contact again, authorities said. After Rivera had been in the girl's room for a while, the 13-year-old boy again walked to her room and witnessed the 22-year-old zip up his pants.
Rivera left the home soon afterwards, and the boy woke up the girl's sister and told her what he had seen, authorities said. The girl's mother than told the church's pastor who told police.
Rivera, of the 400 block of West Polo Club Drive in Glendale Heights, allegedly told police he knew the girl was 17 and acknowledged the sexual contact, prosecutors said.
Cook County Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil ordered Rivera held on $50,000 bond.
Rivera has no criminal background, prosecutors said.
