A man working for a Christian ministry organization in East Garfield Park is accused of sexually abusing a teenage boy that he met through another employee of the ministry.
Cecil Smart, 31, faces a felony count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse for allegedly inappropriately touched the 16-year-old while he was sleeping over at Smart’s home.
Smart’s bail was set at $10,000 at a court hearing Wednesday at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.
Smart, of East Garfield Park, met the boy in July 2018 when another employee of the unnamed ministry organization introduced them, prosecutors said in court. The boy lives out of state, but was visiting Chicago and volunteering for the ministry when they were introduced.
On July 27, Smart took the boy to watch fireworks at Navy Pier and afterward took the boy to his home, where he gave the boy alcohol, prosecutors said. The boy ended up vomiting and Smart told him he could take a shower. While the boy was in the shower, Smart came into the bathroom and opened the shower curtain, looked at the boy, laughed and gave him a towel, prosecutors said.
Later that night, Smart got into bed with the boy and sexually abused him, prosecutors said.
The next morning, the boy sent a text message to a friend about what happened and told a family member about two months later, prosecutors said. Smart turned himself in at the Harrison District police station Monday, authorities said.
Prosecutors did not say which ministry organization Smart was working for at the time of the alleged abuse during the hearing and declined to provide additional information.
But prosecutors did say that Smart had been fired from his job after twice violating the ministry’s policies. In March 2018, Smart violated the ministry’s policy when he was alone with a boy in a prayer room and again in June 2018 when he drove a boy home and allegedly grabbed the boy’s buttocks, prosecutors said.
An assistant public defender for Smart said he was working full-time and making $30,000 to $40,000 a year, but said he had no money for bond. The public defender noted Smart had never been arrested before and had strong ties to the community.
Judge Mary Marubio set his bail at $10,000 with electronic monitoring if he is released. Smart was also ordered to have no contact with anyone under 18 while the case continues.
His next court date was set for Oct. 22.
