2 Sexual Assault Charges For Will County Sheriff Corrections Officer

JOLIET — A half-dozen Will County Sheriff's Office deputies stood near the prisoner table inside Will County Courtroom 405 on Friday morning as Will County Sheriff's Corrections Officer Daniel Herod was led into the courtroom, wearing an orange jail jumpsuit with arm and leg shackles. Herod spent Thursday night at the Kankakee County Jail, where he is staying as an inmate.

Although the criminal charges for Herod were not announced by Will County Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak, the charges were later listed on the public file at the courthouse afterward. Herod is charged with one felony count of predatory criminal sexual assault and one count of criminal sexual assault of someone under the age of 13, court records reflect.

The charging information indicates that the crimes happened back on May 9, 2021.

All the search warrant documents related to Thursday's raid and arrest affidavit of Herod at his house in Elwood on Meadowbrook Drive were ordered sealed by the judge, for now.

The Will County Public Defender's Office was appointed to represent Herod, who indicated that he is not employed.

Earlier Friday, the Will County Sheriff's Office issued a press release indicating that Herod has worked for the agency since May 2010. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security was responsible for spearheading the criminal investigation and the arrest.

Kevin Hedemark, the new public information officer for Will County Sheriff's police, told reporters on Friday that his agency had no role in the criminal investigations of Herod, and that Hedemark did not know the actual criminal charges that were being brought at the conclusion of Herod's five-minute hearing before the judge.

Herod will remain in detention, presumably in Kankakee's jail, until his next court appearance, which is set for Thursday, April 3.

Although Herod told Will County Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak that he is no longer employed, Hedemark explained to reporters afterward that Herod is still employed at the sheriff's office.

At this stage, Herod has been recommended for termination, and Herod has the ability to appeal his termination to the sheriff's oversight board as a matter of due process.