CPD Superintendent Answers Questions On Police Delays With Investigation On Child Sex Abuse Case: 'We Will Hold Officers Accountable
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago's top cop now answering to the delays by police in a horrendous child sexual abuse case first exposed by the CBS 2 Investigators.
CBS 2 Investigator Megan Hickey reports on what Superintendent David Brown said about the lag time in this investigation.
Two men have now been arrested and charged thanks to CBS 2 reporting. That is two men out of a total of five men who have been accused of assaulting that 10-year-old girl in a string of sexual assaults dating back years.
Both of these men were identified as suspects months ago but these arrests didn't come until after the CBS 2 Investigators exposed this story. Superintendent Brown told they're investigating how and why the ball was dropped.
Two men are now behind bars facing charges that they sexually abused a 10-year-old girl. In the case of 43-year-old Joseph Brinner, arrested this week, he's accused of taking her to this South Side motel and raping her on more than one occasion.
At one point, dressing her up to look older and trafficking her to other men. During the same period, 37-year-old Samuel Brown was accused of meeting the girl on a dating app and sexually assaulting her in a garage.
Police had DNA evidence linking Brown to the rape since November, and yet he wasn't arrested until March, after our story started raising questions.
CBS 2 asked Superintendent Brown why.
"We are currently having an administrative investigation to determine if there are any officers that need to be held accountable," Brown said. "We will hold officers accountable for not doing their job fully."
Brown did not comment on specifics about the lags in this investigation. But he said CPD immediately reassigned the case to a new detective following questions raised by our report in February.
Police reports obtained by the CBS 2 Investigators identified five possible suspects. CPD said a third suspect with ties to this victim was released without charging but the investigation is ongoing.
CBS 2 also asked Brown about Mayor Lori Lightfoot's comments about this case:
"We must also stop the adultification of Black girls, who too often are blamed when they should be treated as victims, particularly in cases of sexual abuse."
Brown didn't quite answer.
"I will refer you to my first answer," Brown said. "We are hoping any and all officers accountable who didn't do their job and we are going to continue to pursue justice for this 10 year old."
CPD said it is continuing to revise its policies, procedures and training to prevent any unnecessary investigative delays from happening in the future.