Mayor of Illinois town Eldorado, 59, is accused of preying on young boys in bombshell $190million child sex abuse lawsuit

The mayor of a small town in Illinois has been accused of sexually abusing young boys while working at a juvenile corrections facility, according to a bombshell new lawsuit.  

Filed in the Illinois Court of Claims, the lawsuit viewed by DailyMail.com claims at least 95 victims were abused while staying at juvenile corrections facilities and lists several repeat abusers.

The longtime mayor of Eldorado, Rocky James, 59, is accused of harassing and assaulting at least six boys in the 1990s and 2000s. He has denied the allegations. 

One victim, who was 13 years old when he was housed at the Illinois Youth Center Harrisburg facility, said James repeatedly groped him and made masturbatory gestures toward him.

'A few times during [the victim's] stay in the confinement unit, all of the mattresses were revoked from the confinement cells. During these occasions, James told [the victim] that he would give him his mattress back if he masturbated him or administered oral copulation on him,' the lawsuit said.

James has been the mayor of Eldorado since 2007 and in a March 2011 story for the Harrisburg Register, James said he had been employed with the Department of Juvenile Justice at the Illinois Youth Center-Harrisburg for over 26 years and held the title of juvenile justice supervisor.

A boy who was 15 to 16 years old in 2002 and 2003 said James and another correctional officer would force him to perform oral sex on them, penetrate him with their fingers and force the victim to have sexual intercourse with them.

In 2006 to 2007, another 15 to 16-year-old victim claimed James and another officer threatened to write him up and send him to confinement if he did not comply with their abuse. 

'[The victim] was scared and uncomfortable but succumbed to their coercion. James put his hands down [the victim] pants and masturbated him, and then [another officer] administered oral sex on [the victim] and sodomized him while James watched and masturbated himself,' the lawsuit said. 

One victim who was 16 years old when he was housed at the Illinois Youth Center Harrisburg facility in 2006 said James grabbed and slapped his buttocks on multiple occasions.

'On one occasion, when [the victim] was in his cell in the afternoon, James entered [the victims] cell, exposed himself and put his penis on [the victims] bare leg. James told [the victim] to 'be a good boy,' and he tried coaxing [the victim] to perform oral copulation on him,' the lawsuit said.

A victim who was 14 to 16 years old in 1999 when he alleged James abused him said hogtied him and force him to perform oral sex in order to be released.

James allegedly coerced that victim to sign a piece of paper confessing to sexually abusing another inmate in order to cover up the abuse that James performed.

The lawsuit claims that a forced confession lead to the victim being required to stay at the juvenile facility until his 18th birthday, then he was transferred to an adult prison for three additional years.

In 2010, a victim who was between 14 to 16 years old claimed James penetrated and masturbated him at least three to four times.

'On one occasion, [the victim] was taken into segregation in handcuffs. While handcuffed, James pulled [the victims] pants down and attempted to put his finger in [the victims] buttocks,' the lawsuit said.

'While in the segregation cell, James touched [the victims] penis and attempted to digitally penetrate [the victims] buttocks while making sexual comments. James rubbed [the victims] penis masturbating him for a short time while [the victim] tried resisting by moving around and yelling.'

When contacted by the Associated Press on Monday, James said it was the first he was hearing of the allegations.

'There's absolutely no truth to it,' he said, declining further comment.

The Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice told DailyMail.com: 'Although the Department is unable to comment on active litigation, IDJJ takes seriously the safety of youth in the care of the Department.'

'All allegations of staff misconduct are immediately and thoroughly investigated in partnership with the Department of Corrections, the Illinois State Police and the Department of Children and Family Services.'

The lawsuit is seeking $2 million for each of the 95 victims included in the complaint from the State of Illinois, the Department of Corrections and the Department of Juvenile Justice.