A Chicago man has been charged with sexually assaulting a 7-year-old female relative in an act witnessed in an online forum used for remote teaching, authorities said.
Catrell Walls, 18, is charged with a felony count of predatory criminal sexual assault of a victim under 13, Chicago police said. He was ordered held without bond Saturday.
Walls was seen via an online learning application performing a sexual act with the child about 1:30 p.m. Thursday, police said.
The teacher reported what she saw to the school’s principal, who called the girl’s family, Chicago police and authorities from Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, prosecutors said.
When the girl’s father, principal and the school’s chief executive officer went to the South Side home to ask the girl about what happened, she told the principal about the assault and said it had happened before, prosecutors said.
The girl was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital.
Police were made aware of the attack and when officers went to the home, the girl identified her attacker, and he was arrested, police said.
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During an unrelated press conference on Friday, Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice Jackson called the situation “disturbing.″
Walls has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, which impairs his ability to control his impulses, his defense attorney said.
