Suburban police officer charged with sexually abusing woman while on duty

A part-time police officer from the North suburbs was behind bars Wednesday facing charges alleging he sexually abused a woman while on duty.

Patrick Cacho, 29, of Kenosha, Wisconsin, is charged with four counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, two counts of aggravated battery, two counts of official misconduct and two counts of criminal sexual abuse, Illinois State Police said.

The charges stem from actions Cacho took while working as a police officer in Park City, a town of about 8,000 residents located southeast of Gurnee.

In a written statement, Park City Police Chief Kenneth Stoves said his department received a report on Jan. 28 that Cacho had acted unprofessionally and possibly engaged in criminal conduct while on duty on more than one occasion in the preceding weeks.

The allegations involved an adult female with whom Cacho had contact with during traffic stops, Stoves said. Based on the seriousness of the allegations, Cacho was immediately placed on unpaid administrative leave, he added.

The department asked state police to investigate. On Tuesday, state police investigators presented the case to the Lake County state’s attorney’s office, which then approved the 10 felony charges against Cacho.

Cacho was arrested by state police Tuesday and fired from the Park City Police Department, officials said. He remains in custody pending an initial appearance in Lake County court.

“While all individuals in the criminal justice system are presumed innocent until proven guilty, these allegations are deeply concerning and run counter to the ethical standards upheld by the Park City Police Department,” Stoves said in his written statement.