Ear Hustle

Chicago Man Charged With Sexual Assault Of Minor He Was Babysitting

howard pondexter

A Chicago man was ordered held in lieu of $500,000 bail after being charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl on several occasions for whom he was entrusted to babysit, prosecutors said.

Howard Pondexter, 52, was charged with criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse, both felonies, for assaulting the girl on two different occasions in December at his home on the 9500 block of South Winston Avenue, according to Chicago police and prosecutors.

Pondexter appeared before Cook County Judge Israel Desierto today at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.

Proseuctors said the first incident happened on Dec. 9 after the girl was dropped off at Pondexter’s home by her mother so the man could babysit her daughter. After the girl arrived at the home, Pondexter told her to go to his bedroom to do her homework, prosecutors said. The man then fondled the girl and sexually assaulted her, prosecutors said.

A second incident happened weeks later on Dec. 16 at the man’s house as he watched her again, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said the man told the girl to keep quiet and said that he could get into trouble if anyone found out what had occurred between them.

The girl later told a relative about the asaults. After police were called, they found sexually explicit text messages on the girl’s phone that were sent by Pondexter, prosecutors said.

He was arrested on Feb. 20 and charged with the assaults.

Source: Chicago Tribune

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