An Illinois State Police trooper is behind bars after being charged with drugging a Tinley Park bartender, taking her to a hotel and sexually assaulting her after a night out in the southwest suburbs. The alleged assault happened nearly a year before the case reached court.
According to charges detailed by CBS Chicago, the bartender and her girlfriends walked to another bar after her shift on Aug. 2, 2025, and 54-year-old Douglass Lee asked to join them. Lee allegedly drugged the woman, took her to a hotel and later left her in her car overnight; he was ordered held after his first court appearance Saturday and was due back Tuesday at the Bridgeview Courthouse.
What The Charge Means Under Illinois Law
Illinois law defines criminal sexual assault to include sexual penetration when a person knows the alleged victim is unable to understand the nature of the act or give knowing consent. The offense is generally classified as a Class 1 felony under the Illinois criminal code, though the filed charges and any eventual sentence depend on the facts and legal findings in the case.
Illinois State Police placed Lee on administrative leave without pay while conducting an internal investigation, although the agency did not immediately clarify when the leave began. Tinley Park officials told CBS Chicago that, as far as they know, Lee was not on duty when the alleged assault occurred.
Lee has been charged with felony criminal sexual assault, but the charge remains an allegation. He is presumed innocent unless prosecutors prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
