Chicago police are searching for a man accused of sexually abusing another passenger aboard a CTA Blue Line train near the Irving Park station, in an incident that unfolded just after 6:30 p.m. on September 10. Investigators say the suspect sat behind the passenger before inappropriately touching her, then fled the train.
The account comes from CBS Chicago, which reported that the Chicago Police Department released photos of the suspect in hopes the public can help identify him. Police describe him as an African American man who was wearing a long-sleeve gray shirt, black pants, and a black-and-white hat with a logo on the front. He also had on headphones and was carrying a backpack at the time of the alleged assault, according to the same report.
The Irving Park stop sits in the median of the Kennedy Expressway on the Blue Line, with a below-expressway fare-control area, entrances, a platform, and walkways, according to Chicago-L.org, which notes the station was built in 1970 as part of the CTA's Kennedy Extension.
Detectives Ask Public for Tips
The Chicago Police Department is asking anyone with information to contact Public Transportation Detectives at 312-745-4447. Tipsters can also submit information anonymously at CPDtip.com using reference number JK409394, per the same account.
The Chicago Police Department's Public Transportation Section is a unit of officers dedicated to CTA buses and trains, according to the Chicago Transit Authority. The department and CTA work together on safety, and the CTA has a large camera network, according to a video posted on the CTA's Facebook page. The CTA has also discussed crime on its system.
Part of a Wider Pattern on Chicago Rail Lines
The Irving Park case is the latest in a string of alerts CPD has issued this month involving unwanted touching on Chicago's rail system. The earlier case occurred September 5; Hoodline reported on September 14 that police sought a man who rode the Blue Line from Cumberland before sexually abusing a woman who exited at the Division station in Wicker Park.
City transit officials have pointed to broader improvement even as these alerts continue. Chicago Police Department data cited by WTTW shows violent crime on the CTA system down 20% year-to-date.
What Conviction Could Mean Under Illinois Law
Criminal sexual abuse may be a Class 4 felony for a second offense or in certain circumstances. A conviction carries a potential sentence of one to three years in state prison along with mandatory sex offender registration, according to Hoodline, which attributes the information to Stavros Law Offices.
Police are searching for the man in the photos and asking the public for tips.
