Sex Abuse, Child Porn Charges Filed Against Ex-Deputy In Wilmette

WILMETTE, IL — Investigators discovered a collection of child pornography during a search of the Wilmette home of a retired sheriff's deputy accused of sexually abusing two girls under the age of 16, authorities said.

John Pradun, 62, of the 100 block of Millbrook Lane, was arrested Friday morning at his home and charged with two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, indecent solicitation, grooming and exhibiting harmful materials in connection with a series of incidents earlier this month, according to Wilmette police and Cook County prosecutors, who also charged him with 15 counts of possession of child pornography.

Police said the investigation began Tuesday when a parent of a student at a local high school overheard a discussion among teens of another student's account of abuse by an adult. Investigators interviewed multiple people involved on Wednesday and Thursday and produced enough evidence for a judge to sign off an arrest warrant for Pradun and a search warrant for his house and electronic devices.

Pradun, a retired sergeant with the Cook County Sheriff's Office, invoked his right to remain silent following his arrest, authorities said. As of Monday afternoon, he was being held at Cook County Jail and could not be reached for comment.

At a bond hearing Saturday, prosecutors said Pradun would allow minors to frequently party at his house. Pradun would offer children Xanax, alcohol, marijuana and nicotine, according to prosecutors, and police said they found narcotics at his house that he did not have a prescription for.

Prosecutors said it was common knowledge among local high school students who attended parties at his house that Pradun was an ex-cop — everyone called him by the nickname "Po-Po."

After one of the parties at his house earlier this month, Pradun was giving three girls a ride, prosecutors said. While in the car, they allege he showed the girls a nude photo of himself with his hand holding his genitals. After dropping off two of the girls, he pulled over and confronted the girl who was left alone in the car, prosecutors said.

According to prosecutors, Pradun asked if he could "trust" her before abusing her. Once she was dropped off at home, she immediately told her friends what had just happened.

As Wilmette police began investigating, another family came forward to report their daughter had also been sexually assaulted by Pradun this month, authorities said.

Prosecutors said Pradun grabbed another girl under 16 while giving her a ride to a party at his house. And in another incident, he asked the girl "if she trusted him" before grabbing her; prosecutors said the girl told Pradun to stop, later confiding in friends about what had happened.

After police learned about the circumstances of the incidents and the parties at Pradun's house, they showed up at his house Friday morning to arrest him and execute several search warrants, seizing a cellphone, laptop and hard drives, according to police and prosecutors.

In a search of a flash drive at Pradun's house, investigators found more than 30 images of the sexual abuse of children under the age of 10, according to prosecutors.

Wilmette police asked anyone with additional information about possible crimes Pradun has committed to contact the lead detective in the case, Sgt. Solvei Gehrken, at 847-853-7546.

According to a Cook County Sheriff's Office spokesperson, Pradun retired in November 2019 after 27 years working for the sheriff's police.

Pradun was ordered held at Cook County Jail in lieu of the $15,000 cash portion of his bond, which is combined across three cases comprising the 20 felony charges he faces. His next court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon in Skokie.