Ex-deputy police chief accused of sexual abuse

CHICAGO (AP) — A former deputy police chief in suburban Chicago is accused of committing a federal civil rights violation while on duty through acts that allegedly included sexual abuse.

Tony Debois was deputy chief of the Markham Police Department when the crime is alleged to have taken place in September 2010.

The single-count indictment was unsealed after his arrest Thursday.

Prosecutors have not revealed details about the victim or the circumstances of the abuse.

DeBois pleaded not guilty Thursday at a federal courthouse in Chicago and has been released on bond.

He told reporters he was innocent, saying he's "been a police officer a long time."

DeBois began his law enforcement career in the 1990s.

The felony civil rights violation carries a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine.