A former Illinois lawmaker surrendered to the Lake County Sheriff's office Thursday before appearing in court on charges he distributed private sexual photos of two women without their consent, authorities said.
A judge set bail for ex-state Rep. Nick Sauer at $30,000 following a grand jury indictment alleging the Lake Barrington Republican "intentionally disseminated" nude images of two women.
Sauer posted bond and was ordered to have no contact with his alleged victims and no use of social media. He is next set to appear in court on Feb. 6.
The grand jury issued a 12-count indictment Wednesday charging Sauer with "non-consensual dissemination of private sexual images involving two separate victims," all of which are felonies, according to a release from the Lake County State's Attorney Michael Nerheim.
An investigation into Sauer began in late-July after the Illinois Legislative Inspector General Julie Porter informed the state's attorney's office of "possible criminal activities" by Sauer, Nerheim said.
In August, a report surfaced alleging that Sauer used an ex-girlfriend's privately shared nude photos to "catfish other men" on Instagram.
Chicago police confirmed that an "obscenity report was generated by a 38-year-old victim on July 12" in which the victim claimed that a social media account "was created using her identity and photos."
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Soon after, Sauer, a GOP lawmaker representing portions of the northern suburbs, submitted his letter of resignation saying "my ability to fulfill my obligations as a State Representative and public servant will be affected by the distraction of addressing these allegations."
"After speaking with my family, I feel it best to step away from my public responsibilities," he wrote.
The first-term Lake Barrington Republican later withdrew his name from the November election ballot.
