Area Four detectives have secured felony charges against 28-year-old Robert Harper after identifying him as the offender responsible for two criminal sexual assaults that occurred within the past few weeks on the city’s West Side.
The first incident he is charged with occurred on February 25, 2026 in the South Austin neighborhood. A 23-year-old victim reported she met with the offender in a residential building in the 5600 block of W. Washington Blvd., after initially communicating with him through an app. When she arrived, he sexually assaulted her at gunpoint.
The second incident Harper is charged with also occurred in South Austin in the 5600 block of W. Washington Blvd. on March 2, 2026. The circumstances were similar to the sexual assault that occurred less than a week earlier. A 24-year-old victim communicated with the offender through an app before meeting with him at the same residential building, where he sexually assaulted the victim at gunpoint.
Violent Crimes detectives from Area Four identified Harper as the offender and linked these two cases through information provided by the victims and digital forensic evidence. With this evidence, detectives worked closely with Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office to secure an arrest warrant for Harper.
Members from CPD and the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force located Harper and arrested him on March 18, 2026 at the same location where the sexual assaults occurred.
Due to the diligent work of Area Four Detectives, in partnership with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Harper was charged with:
- Two felony counts of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault with a Firearm
- Two felony counts of Aggravated Unlawful Restraint