Barrington-area couple charged with sexual assault of girl

Cook County Sheriff's police have charged a married couple from the Barrington area for their roles in what police say was the repeated sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl since last summer.

Berardo Lopez, 37, and Veronica Juarez, 33, of the 900 block of South Hough St. in unincorporated Cook County just outside Barrington, were arrested and charged in the reported attacks on the girl, whom they knew.

Lopez is charged with two counts of criminal sexual assault and one count of criminal sexual abuse. Juarez is charged with one count of endangering the life of a child.

Investigators said they determined that Juarez knew about the assaults and did nothing to stop them. Officers also reported that Juarez attempted to hinder the investigation.

The investigation began after the girl told a school counselor she thought she might be pregnant after being sexually assaulted by Lopez. Cook County Sheriff's Police spokeswoman Lisa Gordon said she didn't know whether the girl is pregnant.

Lopez was arrested Friday and remains in the Cook County Jail on $100,000 bond. Juarez was arrested Saturday and was released after posting $100 of her $1,000 bond.

Lopez is scheduled to next appear at the Rolling Meadows courthouse on Feb. 10, while Juarez's next hearing is Feb. 16.