Lake County Sheriff's detective wins valor award

Lake County Sheriff's Detective Christopher Covelli has received the 2015 Valor Award from the 100 Club of Chicago, the sheriff's office announced in a news release.

Sheriff Mark C. Curran, Jr. nominated Covelli for the award this year for his successful pursuit of child exploitation predators. In the past year, Covelli's investigations resulted in 25 proactive arrests, including 8 arrests for indecent solicitation of a child, 12 for possession and dissemination of child pornography and his collaboration with the Attorney General's Office leading to the arrest of a registered sex offender reproducing child pornography. The latter case was the first Class Super X felony in Lake County.

Covelli's efforts resulted in six children being rescued from homes where sexual abuse was occurring. All six children are now in foster homes and being monitored by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

Covelli started his career in 2005 in a Lake County suburb and transferred to the Lake County Sheriff's Office in 2010. He was assigned to highway patrol and, in 2012, was transferred to the criminal investigations division. In 2013, the Lake County Sheriff's Cyber Crimes Unit was formed and Covelli named the lead detective.

He is certified as an accident investigator, cellphone forensic examiner, homicide investigator, voice stress analysis examiner, field training officer and juvenile officer.

"We are tremendously proud of Detective Covelli's dedication to targeting child pornography and child sexual abuse offenders and extend our congratulations as a 2015 recipient of the Valor Award," Curran said. The award was presented to Covelli on April 30.

In 1980, the board of directors of the 100 Club of Chicago established the Valor Award to be presented annually to those police officers, firefighters and paramedics who, by their actions, performed above and beyond the call of duty and in the highest tradition of their respective departments.

The recipients are chosen by the awards committees of the Chicago police and fire departments, the Illinois Police Association and the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association.

The Valor Award is the only civilian award that is permitted to be worn on the awardee's uniform in every municipality within Cook and Lake counties.