County Worker Charged With Raping Jail Inmate
CHICAGO (STMW) -- Bond was set at $300,000 Thursday for a Cook County hospital employee charged with sexually assaulting at Cook County Jail inmate at Cermak Hospital.
Alphonzo Hill, 45, of Calumet City, is charged with criminal sexual assault, custodial sexual misconduct and official misconduct – all felonies – according to a release from the Cook County Sheriff's office.
Hill appeared in court at Thursday and was ordered held on $300,000 bond, the release said.
Hill worked as an EMT at Cermak Hospital, which is on the jail grounds but is part of the Cook County Health and Hospitals Systems. He has since been suspended.
In May, Hill was in a minimum-security jail dispensary room with a 46-year-old inmate who was there for routine care. During the visit, Hill told the man his doctor had ordered a more detailed medical examination, according to the release.
Though Hill was not authorized, nor licensed to carry out this exam, he told the man he could do it. But during the exam, the victim realized Hill was not performing an exam, but was sexually assaulting him, the release said.
He immediately stopped Hill and left the room, then alerted a correctional officer, according to the release. The officer notified jail and hospital supervisors.
He was arrested after an investigation by the Sheriff's Office of Professional Review. Though Hill denied the accusations, DNA evidence later revealed evidence of an assault, the release said.
His next court date is set for Jan. 4. Hospital officials said Hill has been suspended since the investigation began.
Cermak allows EMTs to interact with detainees for minor medical issues, including dispensing of medication in jail divisions, the release said.
Additionally, EMTs are often assigned to dispensary rooms where they perform blood pressure checks and other routine health exams. Any interaction with doctors or procedures that require privacy are conducted at Cermak Hospital, the release said.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2010. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
