Second woman comes forward claiming sexual assault at DMV

A second woman has now come forward to say she was sexually assaulted by an Illinois Secretary of State employee during a driving test.

The woman told Fox 32 she complained about it months ago, but nothing happened until he was charged last week for allegedly assaulting another woman.

"He got in the car with me and that's when it started. He said he really liked chocolate girls and he would really like to have me,” said a 28-year-old woman, who asked that we protect her identity.

She said she was stunned last week when she saw news reports that 29-year-old Joshua Atwater had been charged with criminal sexual abuse after allegedly fondling a woman during a driving test in November.

Atwater worked at the Illinois Secretary of State’s DMV facility at 99th and King Drive.The woman said that's where she went last July to get a new license.

During the driving test she said Atwater asked her to park in an alley a short distance away.

"Then he grabbed my arm, grabbed my breast and pushed his hand up my dress. I had on a grey dress,” the woman said. "I told him to stop. I would call law enforcement. He said ‘you can do that. It's up to me if you pass or fail.’"

She said when they returned to the DMV, she tried to get the instructor's name from another employee.

"I said the reason why I need his name is I think I've been sexually assaulted. That's what I asked her,” the woman said. “She said I don't know."

The 28-year-old said she then drove to the police station on 111th Street but an officer at the desk told her without the perpetrator's name they couldn't make a report.

After seeing the story last week the woman went back to the police station and gave them Atwater's name and a sexual assault report has now been filed.

"If they had listened to me at first it maybe wouldn't have went so far, and maybe she wouldn't have got sexually assaulted as well,” the woman said.

Atwater has been put on paid leave by the Secretary of State's office.

"We are looking into (these new allegations) very seriously. The alleged conduct is offensive and despicable. We are also making the chicago police department aware of this,” a Secretary of State spokesman said.

The spokesman said at this point they're not aware of any other allegations made by women against Atwater, who was ordered held on a $100,000 dollar bond.