Bonds stays at $1.5 mil for Gurnee cop accused of child sex crimes

A judge Thursday refused to lower the $1.5 million bond for a Gurnee police officer charged with child sex crimes.

Jay Simon, 35, has been in the Lake County jail since his June 6 arrest on charges of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, aggravated criminal sexual abuse and aggravated assault.

Simon is accused of molesting two girls under the age of 13 in thee separate attacks dating to November 2006, and pointing a handgun at a Zion man while threatening him in March.

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His attorney, Torrie Newsome of Waukegan, told Associate Judge Daniel Shanes the $150,000 in cash Simon would have to post to get out of jail is beyond his reach.

Newsome asked Shanes to consider Simon's record in his six years as a patrol officer in Gurnee and the 12 years he served in the Navy.

While acknowledging the charges against his client are serious, Newsome contended his client is not a flight risk and is a good candidate for a lower bond.

Newsome suggested a bond that would require Simon to post between $20,000 and $50,000 would be more appropriate.

"There is no reason to believe that he would be a threat to any of the alleged victims," Newsome said.

Lake County Assistant State's Attorney Patricia Fix urged Shanes to let the original bond stand.

"The charges the defendant is facing are extraordinarily serious," Fix said. "They call for mandatory prison sentences, consecutive sentences and are mandated to be served at 85 percent."

Shanes, who set the original bond when he signed the arrest warrant for Simon, said he would not pay special attention to the fact Simon is a police officer.

"Much has been said about the defendant's employment, but the law this court follows applies equally to all who come before it," Shanes said. "Nobody starts out ahead or behind."

Shanes said if Simon is able to post bond, he must arrange for the surrender any firearms he owns to the Lake County sheriff's office prior to his release.

If convicted of predatory sexual assault of a child, Simon faces a mandatory prison sentence of six to 30 years.

Aggravated criminal sexual abuse carries a maximum of seven years in prison. Aggravated assault, a misdemeanor, is punishable by up to a year in the county jail.

Simon has been on administrative leave from the police department since mid-May, when officials were notified he was under investigation.

He is due to appear in court June 23.