Champaign Police Officer Charged With Sexual Assault

A Champaign Police officer has been arrested and charged with sexual assault.

31 year old Jerad Gale of Champaign was arrested Tuesday by State Police, in connection with attacks on two women in Champaign and Piatt Counties.

The Champaign County State's Attorney's office says the attacks on the Piatt County woman occurred on two separate occasions in July, 2012, while the attack on another victim in Champaign County occurred in November, 2013.  Gale faces one count each of Criminal Sexual Assault, Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault (a Class X felony) and Aggtravated Domestic Battery in the Champaign County case. In the Piatt County case, Gale is charged with Criminal Sexual Assault.

Champaign County prosecutors also say there was a third alleged rape, but that no charges have been filed, because it occurred in 2007, falling outside the statute of limitations.

Prosecutors contend that Gale was in long-term relationships with each of the victims at the time of the assaults. They say the case came to the attention of authorites in May, when the Champaign victim made a report to University of Illinois Police.

Gale was taken to the Piatt County Correctional Center, pending formal arraignment in both counties. Judges in Champaign and Piatt County each set bond for Gale at $250,000, when issuing warrants for Gale.

In a statement, the Champaign Police Department says Gale has been placed on investigative leave, and that the department is cooperating with State Police in the investigation.

Both Champaign Police and the Champaign County State’s Attorney’s office say there’s no indication that any of the alleged attacks had any connection to Gale’s duties as a police officer.