By Steve Schmadeke
Chicago Tribune
CHICAGO — A man accused of kidnapping and raping a 15-year-old girl has been charged with sexually assaulting his cellmate in Cook County Jail, prosecutors said Tuesday.
The rare charge involving inmate rape was filed against Gerrod Greer after a prisoner complained to authorities and DNA tests were taken, according to prosecutors. Greer, of Gary, was charged with criminal sexual assault.
The assault happened in April when Greer “began to make sexual advances” to his cellmate, who rejected them, according to Assistant State’s Attorney Liam Reardon.
After the man fell asleep on his bottom bunk later that evening, Greer woke him and forced him to perform a sex act, threatening to beat him if he refused, Reardon said. Greer then sexually assaulted the man, the prosecutor said.
The next morning, the inmate told an officer what had happened, Reardon said. Both men underwent testing, and DNA implicated Greer, Reardon said.
Judge Laura Sullivan ordered Greer held on $500,000 bail.
Greer was already being held in the jail on $1 million bail, charged with aggravated criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual abuse, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated battery and unlawful restraint.
In that case, Greer is accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl in Country Club Hills.
Cara Smith, chief policy officer for the sheriff’s office, said it took months to file the charges because authorities wanted to wait for the results of DNA tests. Greer was moved to a jail outside Cook County, and housed alone in a cell, while the tests were being processed, she said.
She said jail officials had no warning that Greer would assault his cellmate.
“There were no red flags there,” she said.
Smith acknowledged that such charges are “really rare,” though several lawsuits have alleged sexual abuse or assaults. In 2014, a woman filed a complaint claiming she was beaten and sexually assaulted by inmates.