St. Charles alderman denies exposure allegation

St. Charles Alderman David Richards, who was accused of exposing himself in West Chicago last month, "vehemently denies" the charges as police presented them, his attorney said Thursday.

Richards, 58, has been charged with disorderly conduct in connection with a July 16 complaint in which a semitrailer driver told police he saw a man masturbating while driving on Route 64, according to a police report.

"Mr. Richards vehemently denies the allegations as they appear in the police report," his attorney, Kenneth Johnson, said Thursday. "We are investigating the charges against him and have no further comment at this time."

According to police, the witness first grew suspicious of a red Dodge Stratus, later identified as Richards', just before 1 p.m., as the car wove between westbound lanes near Gary Avenue in Carol Stream.

The truck driver told police he then saw the car pull alongside a school bus and remain there without passing for about three miles. After the bus turned at Prince Crossing Road, the witness said he pulled next to the moving Stratus and saw a man with his shorts open, touching himself.

Police said the witness called 911 immediately and reported the vehicle's license plate number, which was registered to Richards.

In a July 21 interview with police, Richards admitted to briefly exposing himself while adjusting "down there," but denied masturbating, according to the police report.

Police said they also were unable to locate a school bus that might have been in the area at the time of the complaint. And Richards told an investigator he didn't remember seeing "any bus around whatsoever."

Richards, of the 1100 block of Millburn Court, is scheduled to appear in DuPage County court Sept. 7. He is charged with a local ordinance violation punishable by a fine of up to $1,000.

The 5th Ward alderman, who was first elected in 2001, has said he hasn't decided whether to resign from the city council.