CHICAGO (NewsNation) — A former Chicago police officer has been sentenced to a year in federal prison for sexually assaulting a victim while on duty in 2019.
According to the U.S. attorney’s office, James Sajdak, a Chicago resident, pleaded guilty to one count of deprivation of civil rights in 2023.
In a plea agreement, Sajdak admitted to sexually assaulting a victim on March 5, 2019.
Prosecutors said in the plea agreement, the 65-year-old admitted to approaching the victim on a street in Chicago’s West Garfield Park neighborhood while on duty, driving a marked squad car and wearing a police uniform. Then, Sajdak implied to the victim that they could get in his squad car or face arrest.
Prosecutors said after the victim complied with the demand and entered the squad car, Sajdak drove to a secluded area and forced the time to engage in a sex act.
“Defendant abused the power and responsibility with which he had been entrusted,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexandra Morgan and Erika L. Csicsila argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum.
U.S. District Judge John J. Tharp, Jr. imposed the sentence Friday during a hearing in federal court in Chicago.
