A former police officer from Chicago, David Deleon, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexually abusing four victims, which includes two minors he encountered through his role in the police force.
Deleon, 32, entered guilty pleas to a range of felony charges on Friday before Cook County Judge Kenneth Wadas, who confirmed the plea and delivered the sentence as per court documents.
His actions came to the forefront in 2023, when he was charged by authorities in Norridge for the sexual abuse of a minor. Following this, the investigation expanded dramatically after police secured a warrant to search Deleon’s phone, revealing what prosecutors defined as “multiple crimes against children.” The Cook County sheriff’s police then took over the case.
A detailed forensic analysis of Deleon’s phone revealed significant evidence, indicating that “numerous juvenile male children” had been at his residence, socializing while consuming alcohol, smoking hookah, and donning Chicago police uniforms, in addition to handling firearms. Furthermore, investigators found disturbing photographs, videos, and online inquiries that suggested predatory behavior, including a Google search for “drugs that makes u fall asleep.”
According to authorities, Deleon filmed himself abusing several victims from late 2021 until early 2023. In one troubling series of videos, a 23-year-old man was seen “asleep or involved in sexual intercourse with an unidentified adult female.” Deleon was present in at least three videos where he was seen assaulting the victim while he was unconscious. The victim later informed investigators that he had no awareness or consent regarding being touched or recorded.
One of the younger victims, a 14-year-old boy, first interacted with Deleon on March 20, 2023, when he visited a Chicago police station to report a battery incident at his school. Prosecutors noted that Deleon cultivated a friendship with the child, exchanged Snapchat usernames, and subsequently arranged a late-night meeting. That night, after playing video games and watching TV, the teen reportedly fell asleep on Deleon’s couch, where photos taken during that time allegedly document Deleon assaulting him.
A third victim, a 13-year-old boy, came into contact with Deleon after he arrested the child’s parent. Prosecutors indicated that Deleon treated the boy to dinners several times before inviting him to stay overnight on May 4, 2022. Subsequent investigations revealed videos of Deleon zooming in on the sleeping boy’s private parts and sexually assaulting him.
Deleon had been a member of the Chicago Police Department since 2017 but was placed on unpaid leave once the initial charges were filed. He has since been officially removed from the police force.
On Friday, Deleon admitted guilt to two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child by someone in a position of trust, aggravated criminal sexual abuse resulting in bodily harm, and aggravated criminal sexual abuse during the commission of another felony. Judge Wadas imposed a six-year sentence for each count involving minors and a four-year term for the remaining charges. These sentences are to run consecutively, amounting to a total of 20 years.
Tim Hecke serves as the managing partner at CWBChicago. He began his career at KMOX, a notable news radio station in St. Louis, before transitioning to roles in Minneapolis, Chicago, and New York City. Tim has developed syndicated radio news and content services catering to each of America’s 100 largest radio markets. He has been with CWBChicago in a managing partner capacity since 2019.
You can reach him at tim@cwbchicago.com
