A Chicago Public Schools counseling assistant who also founded a state-funded Englewood violence-prevention nonprofit is being held without bail after prosecutors say he groomed and sexually assaulted two girls over seven years. Charles McKenzie, 37, was taken into custody on August 5 and now faces charges of criminal sexual assault of a family member under 18 and grooming, according to Chicago police.
Cook County Circuit Judge Deidre Dyer ordered McKenzie held in Cook County Jail without bail on August 7, setting his next court date for August 26, according to CWB Chicago. Prosecutors argued successfully for pretrial detention following his arrest, and Assistant State's Attorney Karen Crothers told the court McKenzie began grooming the first alleged victim around September 2017, after he had been dating one of her relatives. Court documents cited by CWB Chicago state he touched that victim inappropriately on multiple occasions and made repeated sexually explicit gestures toward her.
According to NBC 5 Chicago, prosecutors say the first alleged victim was around 13 years old when the grooming began. That reporting also details how a second alleged victim came forward: she reported to authorities that McKenzie sexually assaulted her in March, when she was 14, after court documents say he entered her room and removed her clothes. The girl described the assault to family members and asked a sibling for help, and that sibling later provided a recorded statement supporting parts of the allegations, the outlet reported.
How the Alleged Evidence Was Gathered
When initial disclosures to family members did not produce action, the first victim arranged for her sister to secretly observe a FaceTime call to document the abuse, per the CWB Chicago account of the court filings. Prosecutors allege McKenzie exposed himself during that video call after asking the teen to scan her room, and NBC 5 Chicago reports he identified himself and the first alleged victim during a separate Facebook call. On March 1, the first alleged victim called 911 after saying she did not feel safe at home, the station reported. Both alleged victims later participated in forensic interviews at the Chicago Children's Advocacy Center.
McKenzie has denied the allegations generally. Regarding an image at issue in the case, he told authorities the photo had been faked, according to NBC 5 Chicago; he also said separately that the image was an old photo taken during a call with his wife, and that he was naked in the picture. The dossier of court statements does not resolve how these differing explanations relate to one another.
A Dual Role in Public Safety and Public Schools
McKenzie operates Englewood First Responders, which is described on the city's website as a partner agency with Chicago in violence-prevention efforts, per NBC 5 Chicago's reporting. He remained actively employed as a CPS counseling assistant at the time of his arrest, Chicago Public Schools confirmed, despite prosecutors' allegations that the grooming dated back to 2017, as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times. CPS said it prioritizes and takes seriously its responsibility to ensure the safety, security, and well-being of all students, and that it is committed to building a physically and emotionally safe teaching and learning environment for students, staff, and families — but the district declined to comment on the pending case.
Englewood First Responders is registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and its IRS Form 990 filing listed $60,697 in executive compensation for McKenzie, according to tax disclosures compiled by Give Freely. The group ran youth after-school programs and gas station safety patrols in Englewood. NBC 5 Chicago's review found the organization also received state contracts.
Public Money Behind the Nonprofit
State records show substantial taxpayer support flowed to McKenzie's organization well before the charges surfaced. Under Illinois Public Act 102-0698, the state legislature appropriated a $150,000 grant from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity specifically for Englewood First Responders, covering violence interruption, community development, and operational costs. Separately, the Illinois Department of Human Services shows the nonprofit received $339,900 in non-general revenue legislative initiative funds and was designated a participating provider in the state's Youth Investment Program through March 2027.
That funding fits into a much larger public push to combat violence on Chicago's South Side. In April 2025, the Government Alliance for Safe Communities — a joint effort of the state, Cook County, and the city — launched a $20 million Community Violence Intervention initiative as part of a $100 million total commitment to scale up community-based violence interrupter groups, according to the City of Chicago. Englewood remains a central focus for that kind of street outreach: Chicago Police Department 7th District figures show 139 shootings and 43 homicides citywide in June, with groups like Target Area Development Corp. and still working the same blocks where violence has persisted for years.
What McKenzie Is Facing in Court
Criminal sexual assault of a family member under 18 is a Class 1 felony under Illinois law, carrying a sentence of 4 to 15 years in prison and mandatory lifetime sex offender registration. Grooming a minor through electronic or digital communication is a separate Class 4 felony, punishable by 1 to 3 years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000 — and Illinois law does not require physical contact for a grooming conviction to stand. McKenzie's case will next be heard on August 26, when the pretrial proceedings are set to continue.
