Whitley Pleads Not Guilty to Sex Assault Charges

A former Glenbard West football player pleaded not guilty Thursday to a five-count indictment accusing him of sexually assaulting a teen girl in 2010.

Demarco Whitley entered his plea during a short hearing in the Rolling Meadows branch of Cook County Circuit Court before Judge Thomas Fecarotta. In a soft voice, Whitley only spoke to answer "yes" when the judge asked if he understood his rights. Several supporters again filled seats in the courtroom.

Prosecutors linked Whitley and former teammate Pierre Washington-Steele to the January 2010 assault that took place in a Rolling Meadows parking lot just before a crash that killed Steele and injured Whitely, who was tied to the assault through DNA, officials have said.

Whitley's attorney, Donna Rotunno, previously said consent and whether Whitley knew the girl's age—prosecutors have said the girl was 15 at the time—were likely issues.

Also Thursday, prosecutors generally outlined the evidence they've shared with Rotunno, including, among other things, a variety of police reports, Illinois State Police crime lab reports and the girl's medical records. Fecarotta admonished Assistant State's Attorney Maria McCarthy for referring to the girl as a victim before the case has been completed, and then again when McCarthy used the 16-year-old girl's full name.

Prosecutors are also waiting on Whitley's medical records relating to the crash, the relevance of which Rotunno questioned because the crash is not a part of the criminal case.

Rotunno asked the judge to modify Whitley's court-imposed curfew in order for him to begin training for a job at a Glendale Heights fast-food restaurant. She said Whitley was hired on Monday and would need to be at work beyond the original 7 p.m. curfew start time.

Fecarotta agreed to the change, saying he could not object to Whitley finding a job.

The case is scheduled to return to court April 12 for a status hearing on evidence discovery.