Glendale Hts. man accused in 2004 molestation case

A Glendale Heights man is behind bars on accusations he molested a girl over several days in September 2004.

Brian K. Schmidt, 27, of 1123 Cedar St., was charged with predatory criminal sexual assault in connection with the attacks involving the then-8-year-old girl in Round Lake Park, authorities said. Schmidt was remanded to the Lake County jail in Waukegan after his bond was set at $500,000 during a court hearing Wednesday.

Round Lake Park Police Chief George Filenko said the girl told her mother Sunday about the attacks from four years ago. He said the mother went to authorities immediately.

"She (the victim) didn't tell anybody because she had been threatened by the offender," Filenko said.

The 5-foot, 11-inch, 380-pound Schmidt - also known as "Uncle D" - was an acquaintance of the victim's mother when the molestation occurred "several times," Filenko said.

Investigators interviewed the victim, now 12, her mother and other members of the family in building the case against Schmidt, Filenko said. Round Lake Park police arrested Schmidt in his Glendale Heights apartment Tuesday after criminal charges were approved by the Lake County state's attorney's office.

Filenko said it's not unusual for charges to result from 4-year-old child molestation accusations.

"The investigation is not closed completely," he said, "because we're still looking into the possibility of other incidents."

Police said Schmidt was unemployed at the time of his arrest and most recently worked as a meat cutter.