Six young men from the northwest suburbs pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl at a party Aug. 27 in Palatine.
All six appeared with separate attorneys, who each entered the pleas on behalf of their clients in Cook County Circuit court in Rolling Meadows.
Facing two counts of criminal sexual assault were Jack Barque, 20, of Arlington Heights; Michael Hernandez, 19, of Wheeling; and Jason Short, 18 of Wheeling.
Facing one count of criminal sexual assualt were Rudy Cooney, 20, of Wheeling; Scott Kopper, 17, of Wheeling; and Brian Wilcosky, 20, of Wheeling.
Police alleged the defendants admitted that at the party, they entered a room where the girl had passed out from intoxication and that they each had sex with her.