Crime & Safety
Lake County Man Accused Of Sexual Abuse Of Minor
A Highland Park man is accused of abusing a girl under the age of 18, according to county authorities.
HIGHLAND PARK, IL — A Highland Park man is accused of sexually abusing an underage girl, according to the Lake County State's Attorney.
Wensheng Hu, 56, is suspected of sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 18 between 2021 and 2022.
According to the Highland Park Police Department, Hu turned himself in on Feb. 19 on an outstanding warrant at the station and was not interviewed by local police. From there, he was taken into custody and transported to Lake County Jail for a first court appearance in Waukegan.
Find out what's happening in Highland Parkfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The warrant was issued by Lake County on Feb. 6, and it accuses Hu of committing acts of sexual abuse on a female victim under the age of 18. The incident took place between Aug. 19, 2021, and Aug. 19, 2022, according to authorities.
In the arrest warrant, which was obtained by Patch, Hu is accused of touching the girl in inappropriate places and forcing her into performing sexual acts on him. No additional information about the incident was released because the victim is a minor.
Find out what's happening in Highland Parkfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
He is charged with three counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse against a minor. Due to the seriousness of the crime, state prosecutors argued that Hu should remain in custody in between his court appearances.
"The circumstances of the sex offenses charged show that the defendant poses a real and present threat to the safety of any person or persons. Sexual assault is a violent offense, surpassed in its violence only by murder," the State's Attorney's Office wrote in its petition to detain. "By the very nature of this crime, the victims in these cases are the most vulnerable. The defendant preyed upon and abused a vulnerable member of society in broad daylight and while people were around."
Following his first appearance in court on Feb. 20, a Lake County judge denied the prosecution's petition to keep Hu in custody. As a condition of his release, Hu is not to have any contact with minor children and is not to be present in parks, schools or daycares.
His next court date is on March 25 for a status hearing.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
