McHenry County Sergeant Charged With Sexually Assaulting Child
Updated 01/09/12 - 4 p.m.
MCHENRY COUNTY, Ill. (STMW) -- A 10-year veteran of the McHenry County Sheriff's office -- who also served as the office's internet sex crimes computer specialist -- is accused of 10 counts of predatory sexual assault involving an unspecified child in his family.
Gregory Pyle -- a sergeant with a decade of service with the sheriff's office -- surrendered to Illinois State Police Saturday evening following a joint investigation by State Police and McHenry County officials into sexual assault allegations.
Pyle allegedly forced a juvenile related to him to perform sex acts on him several times between 2006 and 2010, said Michael Combs, chief of the McHenry County State's Attorney's criminal division. The child was under the age of 13.
The allegations were reported to officials Friday evening, spurring the investigation, said State Police spokeswoman Monique Bond.
Pyle, 36, of northwest suburban Crystal Lake, was immediately put on administrative leave, the sheriff's office said. It only took investigators and the McHenry County State's Attorney's Office 24 hours to determine probable cause before charges were levied -- 10 counts of predatory sexual assault.
Pyle was arrested without incident late Saturday evening. State Police took him to McHenry County Jail at 11:30 p.m. Saturday -- and he was released 45 minutes later after posting $20,000 on $200,000 bond, jail officials said.
Each count Pyle faces has a sentencing range between six and 60 years, Combs said.
"We are deeply concerned any time a department member has violated the honor of this organization," the sheriff's office said in a release. "These allegations are serious, but should not tarnish the integrity of the hard working and dedicated men and women of this office who risk their lives to serve and protect our communities everyday."
The sergeant was a member of the Illinois chapter of the Internet Crimes against Children Task Force -- a subset of the U.S. Department of Justice and the Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Calls to Pyle's home Sunday evening were not answered and messages were not returned.
The investigation is ongoing. Pyle's next court date is set for Jan. 27.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2012. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
