North Suburban Bureau

Bond Reduced For Cop Accused Of Raping Girls

WAUKEGAN, Ill. (Lake County News-Sun) ― The Gurnee police officer accused of sexually abusing two young girls may get out of jail while awaiting trial after a judge lowered his bond Friday.

Lake County Associate Judge Theodore Potkonjak reduced Jay Simon's bond to $1 million at the request of Simon's attorney, Torrie Newsome.

Newsome had previously petitioned unsuccessfully to get the $1.5 million bond reduced.

"This will give him a chance to post bond," Newsome said. "Essentially, $1.5 million is like no bail."

In his emergency motion, Newsome argued that Simon, 36, of Round Lake Beach is not a flight risk or a danger to the community. Additionally, he cited testimony from the mother of one of the alleged victims, who told investigators her daughter has a habit of lying.

"There's no physical or scientific evidence to (corroborate) these charges," Newsome told Potkonjak.

Prosecutor Fred Day told Potkonjak he recommended that Simon's bond actually be increased to $2 million. Day said the testimony from the mother referred to minor incidents, like breaking things around the home. The girl does not have a history of falsifying sexual assault allegations, Day said.

Simon, a six-year-veteran of the Gurnee Police Department, was arrested in early June and charged with several counts of sexual assault, one count of aggravated assault and two counts of official misconduct. The rape charges stem from incidents in 2006 and 2007, when two girls alleged that he assaulted them. The other charges come from an incident where he entered the Zion home of his estranged wife and threatened a man he found in the bedroom at gunpoint. Simon and the woman have since divorced.

Following his arrest, Simon was placed on unpaid administrative leave from his $69,000-a-year job.

As an officer, Simon was recognized for his high number of DUI arrests. He was honored in 2005, 2006 and 2007 as the village's top police officer.

Newsome said he believed the lower bond will allow Simon to get out of the Lake County Jail, where he's being held in protective custody. Simon's mother, who moved from North Carolina to Round Lake Beach following her son's arrest, was at Friday's hearing, along with Simon's girlfriend and relatives.

Simon is the second high-profile Lake County officer to have his bond lowered this month. The other is former Waukegan police officer Delatwon Haynes, accused of raping a woman while on patrol. Haynes' bond was cut in half, to $1 million. He has since resigned from the department and remains in jail.

(CBS 2 and the Lake County News-Sun are news partners covering stories in the north suburbs. Send story tips to tips@cbs2chicago.com. (© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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