Ex-business owner faces sex counts

The Sal Camacho known in Elgin for pulling himself up by his own bootstraps, hobnobbing with a Mexican president and coordinating medical supplies to Mexico is the same man accused of three sex offenses.

The Elgin man, founder and former owner of Supreme Coatings Inc., was charged Saturday with two counts of criminal sexual assault and one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.

Camacho, 65, of 152 Westgate Drive, is accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl for three years and of abusing another teenage girl for nine months, said Christine Bayer, an assistant state's attorney who works in the child advocacy center.

If found guilty of criminal sexual assault, he faces between four and 15 years on each charge, Bayer said.

Kane County jail personnel said Camacho posted $15,000 bond and was released over the weekend. He also was outfitted with an electronic monitoring device that he must wear until his court date.

Camacho had to turn his passport over to the Kane County court system.

A longtime activist in Elgin's Rotary Club, Camacho has worked with Rotary Clubs in Arlington Heights, Barrington, Bartlett, Palatine and Waukegan to send millions of dollars worth of medical equipment to Mexico.

He also founded and ran Supreme Coatings, an electrostatic coating company for manufacturers, based in Elgin, until retiring a few years ago.

Camacho and former Mexican President Vicente Fox hail from the same town in the state of Guanajuato and have met on official occasions.

Camacho is due in court May 30. He is scheduled to appear before Kane County Judge Robert Spence.

Daily Herald Staff Writer Gene Haschak contributed to this report.