Former state Rep. Nick Sauer indicted on charges he posted nude photos of 2 women
Disgraced former state Rep. Nick Sauer was indicted by a Lake County grand jury Wednesday on charges he posted nude photos of two women on a fake social media account.
A 12-count indictment was issued against Sauer, a 36-year-old Republican from Lake Barrington, alleging nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images, Lake County State's Attorney Michael Nerheim announced. Each count is a felony punishable by up to three years in prison.
An attorney for Sauer indicated the former lawmaker would turn himself in to authorities by Thursday morning.
Sauer couldn't be reached for comment.
Sauer resigned from the state House last summer after an ex-girlfriend publicly alleged he posted nude photos of her on Instagram.
The woman said Sauer created an Instagram account under her name and posted photos of her there to lure men into graphic discussions. She initially filed complaints with Chicago police and the Illinois legislative inspector general's office.
Nerheim said he was contacted in July by the inspector general. A second victim surfaced as his office's special investigations division and cyber division investigated, he said.
Nerheim declined to release any information about the second victim.
Sauer was elected to the 51st House District seat in 2016. He previously served on the Lake County Board and the Barrington Unit School District 220 board.
In the House, Sauer was on a legislative task force on sexual harassment. In 2017, he co-sponsored legislation designed to require new sexual harassment training for lawmakers.
State Sen. Melinda Bush, a Grayslake Democrat who co-chairs that task force, was among the politicians who called for Sauer to resign last summer. On Wednesday, Bush called Sauer's actions "disgusting, unacceptable and criminal."
"I applaud the victims for coming forward, and I am pleased that justice is being served," Bush said.
Sauer once was considered a political rising star.
Young, charismatic and willing to work across the partisan divide, he contradicted many of the negative labels applied to politicians these days.
"He was liked and respected," Bush said, "and obviously hiding."
After Sauer resigned, Republican Party leaders named Helene Miller Walsh to replace him as the representative for the 51st District, which includes southern and central Lake County and some of the Barrington area in Cook County. Miller Walsh lost the seat to Democratic challenger Mary Edly-Allen in November.
Edly-Allen was sworn in as a representative Wednesday, shortly after Sauer's indictment was announced. She couldn't be reached for comment.
Lake County Republican Party Chairman Mark Shaw couldn't be reached, either.