Chicago Cop Arrested For Allegedly Preying On Women Years Before Getting Police Job

A Chicago cop has been charged with sexually assaulting a teen and a woman, years before becoming a police officer.

The officer, 39-year-old Winford Neely, was arrested earlier this week. He appeared in court Wednesday and was charged with five felony counts of criminal sexual assault.

The prosecutors told the court he met a 31-year-old woman on a dating app in 2013. The woman, who is now 38, visited the officer’s home following the date.

After they got home, Neely had asked the woman to get him some water. The woman, who was having wine, left her glass in the living room and went to the kitchen to get water. When she got back and had a sip of the wine, she stated feeling uneasy. He then took her to his bedroom and sexually assaulted her. The woman told her friend about the incident but didn’t file a complaint until June 2019, Chicago Tribune reported.

Meanwhile, the officer met a 15-year-old girl in 2014. He was her basketball coach at the time. He first assaulted the girl in October the same year and went on to allegedly assault her several times on her school property until March 2015.

In December 2017, Neely left the school and was hired by the police department. He, however, tried to contact the girl, who is now 21, several times on social media. The girl eventually filed a police report in September this year.

Neely’s attorney, Adam Sheppard, proclaimed his client’s innocence and told the court, "He was a beloved basketball coach with no allegations by anybody at the high school of any misconduct other than the accuser in our case."

Neely was released from jail Wednesday after he posted a $100,000 bail. He was ordered to not have contact with the victims.

"There is an open investigation with the Bureau of Internal Affairs regarding this case. If it’s determined the allegations are true, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken," police said in a statement.

He is scheduled to appear in court again on Dec. 23.