Greg Pyle Get 50 Years for Sexual Abuse of His Under 12-Year Old Son

Photo taken by the Boone County Sheriff when Greg Pyle's hair was considerably longer than it was today.

Photo taken by the Boone County Sheriff when Greg Pyle’s hair was considerably longer than it was today.

After a gut-wrenching victim’s impact statement by Gregory Pyle’ ex-wife, the former McHenry County Sheriff’s Sergent was sentenced to fifty years in prison Wednesday by Federal Judge Frederick Kapala.

Pyle had asked for a sentence of thirty-five years.

He is now thirty-nine.

A minimum sentence of thirty years was mandatory.

The ex-wife, who did not reveal her name while testifying in open court, was accompanied by a friend to the podium.

Before that, however, the Judge asked if she wanted to testify in private in a conference room.  She said she preferred to speak in the courtroom.

The Judge asked if she would like some water.  She said she would and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Love brought her a glass.

“I’d rather not give my name,” she replied to Judge Kapala when asked.  He allowed that.

She introduced herself as the mother of the boy “who was sexually abused by Greg Pyle.”

With Pyle sitting shackled in an orange jump suit from the Stephenson County Jail, his ex-wife told of the feelings that were with her “each and every day” and “how much this has changed” her life and the lives of her children, how “Dad has abused his children.”

She told of how Pyle was “my [oldest] son’s camp counselor” when she was a single mother.

New Rockford Federal Courthouse.

New Rockford Federal Courthouse where Greg Pyle was sentenced on the fifth floor.

Pyle was “someone you could trust,” she thought at the time, but now wonders if he deliberately picked her sensing her vulnerability.

“I feel he picked me with a ten-year old child.

“He is a master manipulator.”

She told of being verbally abused “the whole time we were married.”

So was her oldest son, now in the Armed Forces.

“I stopped believing in him.”

Nevertheless they had a son, the one who ended up being sexually abused.

After four years in the military, where he performed well enough to get letters entered into the court record from two superior officers, the couple had another baby, another boy.

Then she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

She thought that was the worst day of her life.

It wasn’t.

“Nothing compared to what my son was going through.”

She told of trying “to live with the guilt…the failure as a mother.”

Greg Pyle

Greg Pyle

When her middle son when off with his father, “I thought he would be having fun.  I thought he would have been having so much fun with his Dad.”

“My biggest regret was trusting Greg.”

She told of Pyle’s “sadistic” acts.

“I can only imagine how scared my son was,” she explained, telling of “giving oral sex, having anal sex with him.”

She told of laying on the bathroom floor the day she discovered the abuse.

“I wanted to die because the pain was so unbearable.

“Two and a half years later, the pain is still unbearable,” she said spreading it throughout the courtroom.

“The pictures [Pyle put on the internet] are etched in my mind…

“The tears still fall.

“I do not trust myself.

“I do not trust other people.

“I have died on the inside.

She told of how her son changed.

Greg Pyle

Greg Pyle was a member of the SWAT team

Once he was happy.

Now he has lost his Dad.

Now he is “depressed, has no social skills [and she added other negative characteristics I couldn’t keep up with]”.

“He is afraid Greg is coming back.

“He only knows hate and anger.

“He pretends to be strong…

“He just turned sixteen, but inside emotionally he is eight years old.

“He sits in his bedroom alone.

“My other child was six years old when Greg started to groom him.

Now, “nine years old, he still wants a Dad.

“He used to wake up at 6.

“Now he has trouble waking up.

“He has abandonment issues.

“He follows me around.

Greg Pyle

Greg Pyle

“He’s afraid…

“He has also lost his childhood.

“He had to lose his home and his very best friends.”

She told of having moved three times since Pyle’s arrest, preventing “a sense of safety and security.”

“He left us to a life of poverty.

“I was a full-time housewife.”

She told of finally finding a therapist who would do it for free, but how they needed treatment more than once a week.

“Another was I fell I’m failing my children.

“My kids are afraid they won’t have food to eat.”

Concluding, she said,

“The sentence doesn’t really matter.

“He gave us a life sentence.

“He made that decision by himself.

“I want you to remember that little boy who said, “No,” and Greg did it anyway.

“We will never be free from his actions.

“That is something we will have to live with all of our lives.”

During the mother’s testimony, Tribune reporter Amanda Marrazzo noted that Pyle “buried his head in his hands and cried.”

Judge Frederick Kapala gave much thought to his 50-year sentence.

One could tell by what he put in the record prior to announcing it.

Frederick Kapala

Frederick Kapala

He was continually referring to the Sentencing Guidelines, which he called “a sufficient starting point.”

“If a sentence is longer than life expectancy it would normally violate” the Guidelines, he said.

Much time spent on Pyle’s life expectancy.

He finally concluded that it was forty-three more years, that he would live until he was eighty-two years old.

With good time of 54 days a year, he could be released when he would be 79.5 years old.

Judge Kapala concluded that a fifty-year sentence “would not be a life sentence and he would not be expected to die in prison.”

The Court cited a case and observed “this case is much more reprehensible than [the other].”

A lack of criminal conduct is a plus when calculating what a sentence should be.

The Judge gave Pyle’s lack of a previous criminal record short shrift.

He noted that “criminal conduct in this case happened for a long period of time” starting in 2008.

The defendant’s behavior was so horrendous that a longer sentence could be justified, Judge Kapala argued.

The Court acknowledged Pyle had “some positive traits, but that didn’t mitigate [what he has cone].”

It wasn’t significant enough to merit [a reduction in sentence], he said, citing “the horrible conduct in this case:

Pyle Army evaluation

This is an example of what Gerg Pyle submitted about his military record.

Specifically referred to was Pyle’s military service in the Bosnian War.

A Lt. Col Rittenhaus apparently wrote a letter on Pyle’s behalf.

Judge Kapala observed that on August 22, 2002, Pyle had said that he was being sexually aroused by pornography.

That was the time he was in the Army.

The Judge concluded that Lt. Col. Rittenhaus and the other officer who sent a letter “did not know the real Greg Pyle.”

“I’m certain they would not give the same positive review if they knew the hypocrisy in his life.

“He had a Law and Order persona, while on the other hand he was a horrible [person] who did despicable things to his son.

McHenry County Jail

When Greg Pyle is tried on state charges, he presumably will be housed in the McHenry County Jail.

“Not only did he lie but he [dealt] a heavy blow to those who worked along side him.

The Judge found it “difficult to reconcile” his day job as the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department representative on the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, “while simultaneously leading a life of crime.”

The Court noted that Pyle sought a shorter sentence because of his law enforcement background.

It would be more difficult to serve because Pyle had been in police work was the argument his attorney advanced.

“No authority was cited,” Judge Kapala announced.

He also stated his belief that the Bureau of Prisons “will be able to adequately protect the defendant.”

One of the mitigating factors was acceptance of responsibility for one’s crimes, which Pyle did by pleading guilty.

He also express sorrow in his letter to the Court.

Judge Kapala said that was “outweighed by the seriousness of the offense,” again pointing out that he was taking the Sentencing Guidelines as seriously as is required.

Then he paused for a moment or two.

The Judge referenced the “sorrow and regret” that Pyle had expressed to Licensed.Social Worker Kate Foley.

Greg Pyle

Greg Pyle

The Court observed that it is “very difficult” to discern “how much” sincerity was involved] “or merely reflect fear, especially [since] the defendant spent numerous years in a double life.”

He pointed out that defendants who plead guilty “routinely” do this.

One of the points judges must consider is the likelihood of recidivism (recommitting the same or another crime).

Pyle Trip 9-18-14

The Chicago Tribune ran a long story.

The Judge admitted that Pyle had a “low risk of recidivism,” but said, “Nevertheless, a low risk does not mean there is no risk.”

He pointed out that “nothing in the report” says that the defendant will not still have “the perversions” when his term in prison has been served.

Judge Kapala then dealt with the psychological reports in his file.

He pointed to the one Pyle underwent before being hired by the Sheriff’s Office.

It said he “liked to approach tasks by the book.”

He then pointed out that Pyle’s “deviant sexual acts have shown he is not rule bound.”

His conclusion?

Pyle’s “deviation indicates these types of reports are not foolproof.

“Even a low risk is of considerable concern given the defendant’s horrific deviant behavior.”

Perhaps in recognition of the risk of re-offense, even at age eighty, the Court imposed lifetime supervision after release from custody.

Judge Kapala basically decried the low number of points taken into account by the Sentencing Guidelines for the “heinous, despicable” account of the crime [against his own son].

“A two point increase is woefully inadequate…[for his] fiendish behavior.”

The “perverted” behavior “ravaged this child in more ways than we can possibly know.

“Strong aggravating factors in this case deserves corresponding long punishment,” he continued.

He talked of Pyle’s job having been to “promote respect for the law [was] directly contradicted by what [he did].

“After he found out [he was being investigated he] decided to hid or destroy all the evidence he [could].”

After erasing his computers, he threw them in a pond.  (The FBI was unable to recover any images.)

“His efforts to obstruct justice shows utter disrespect for the law.”

Citing a case dealing with the deterrence effect of jail time, the Judge pointed out, “This case is even worse and deserves an even long sentence [that the one in U.S. v. Goldberg].

“This type of conduct cannot be countenanced in our society.

“…a life sentence is warranted…not down to thirty-five years (the sentence Pyle sought).”

Judge Kapala concluded that a “sentence differing from the Guideline range is appropriate.”

And he imposed a 600 month (fifty year) sentence.

Lou Bianchi

Lou Bianchi

He asked the Bureau of Prisons to provide drug offender, sex offender and mental health treatment while Pyle is incarcerated, along with “supervised release for life.”

Pyle still faces state charges in McHenry County which pre-date the Federal charges.

“We will be prosecuting Pyle on the State charges,” McHenry County State’s Attorney stated Wednesday after the verdict was rendered.

= = = = =
This may be the longest story I have written. The court hearing certainly affected me more than any other I have attended. I am quite bothered that the mother believes she and her son’s have been sentenced to a lifetime of poverty. (She was a stay-at-home Mom for 18 years.)


Comments

Greg Pyle Get 50 Years for Sexual Abuse of His Under 12-Year Old Son — 35 Comments

  1. Did Nygren personally hire him, too?!!

    Don’t feel too bad for him ……

    even w/ his ‘homosexual pedophile’ tag, he’ll be livin’ it up in some special segregated wing for ex-law enforcement officials ….

    he’ll even have internet access, much better food and a helluvalot more privileges ……….

    Will Quinn pardon him?

  2. The words of this mother and the irreparable damage to her and her family are sickening.

    There is nothing bad enough that can happen to Pyle and others like him, as well as those who covered up for him in the Sheriff’s Dept.

    Is there something we can do for her and her children?

  3. Remember Nygren saying not to worry, its only a family problem “….

    Did anyone interview, and i mean truly interview Pyle’s closet pals Sgt Ellis and Sgt Tadelman from the Sheriffs Office too ?…

    What do they know ?

    Are there other MCSO Supervisors under Nygren span of control that are predator snakes hiding in the grass, waiting to attack children too ?.

    A mental health expert should examine all the Supervisors at MCSO,..making sure this doesn’t happen again ..

    I feel so bad for this family that now has to pick up the pieces of their torn lives ..

    And not ONE WORD of apology from Nygren or Zinke to this family , shameful .

    H
    ow can Nygren and Zinke sleep at night ?
    Please Mr. Prim, really look hard at these Supervisors when you take over as our next Sheriff.

  4. Hate to tell you Old Man Winter, Criminals in prison don’t care if you killed someone, but hate Child Molesters….. guess he’ll find that out !

    50 years wasn’t enough, makes me want to throw up !

  5. I swear the dumbass political hackery on Nygren and all the oher stupidity that has followed this for years is enough already.

    Its like everyone reads past the vile unhuman acts of this scum to jump to the next theory about the sheriff office.

    This crime is absolutely the worst thing a person can do on earth and its always about these other guys.

    Oh Pyle was gonna undig all the dirt in some grand Perry Mason case. Jesus. Get a fuckin life.

  6. An excellent point has been made here today, but Prim is not the right choice as he allows too many violent thugs to penetrate the core of his campaign team.

    Where I come from, we call that poor leadership and a person that is unable to supervise a corporate size department such as McHenry County.

    In Jim Harrison’s webpage, under the topic “Straight Answers to Crooked Questions” I learned that Michael McCleary, a Republican Precinct Committeeman and State’s Attorney’s Office Investigator was arrested for domestic battery and violation of an order of protection, when he was a Woodstock Police Officer, which is a core supported of Prim’s.

    We recently learned of Matt McNamara’s criminal violent history beating woman and he is a core member as the campaign manager of the Prim campaign team.

    I feel confident with Jim Harrison as Sheriff, he will not allow these violent thugs to penetrate the core of the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department, as he has already proven his leadership skills to cleanse the varmints from penetrating the core of authority in McHenry County.

  7. Eric, you sound like someone who is running for office not JUST a Harrison supporter.( Could you be Harrison himself?)

    Oh we all are expecting all the mud throwing you will do BUT
    you can’t take away what a great candidate Prim is.

    What does your comment have to do with Sexual assault

    Intelligent people are now seeing proof of what the Harrison campaign is all about.

  8. Eric C The race is not about Matt McNamara.

    Though, I know for a fact Matt is a really nice guy…

    The race is between the “Jimmy Harrison Show” and Bill Prim.

    Please don’t be offering me any popcorn…

    Everyone knows, you have all had enough of that.

    Bill Prim is the right guy for the job.

    By the way, have not seen one single “Jimmy Harrison Show” political sign.

    Jim is supposed to have more money than Prim.

    Whatsa matter Jim you don’t do signs?

    We would really like to know where you are spending your money, for the Sheriff’s race.

    VOTE FOR BILL PRIM, THE RIGHT MAN FOR THE MCHENRY COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT.

  9. Come on down and watch the “JIMMY HARRISON SHOW” On second thought, don’t waste your time. Join the winning team, which is the Prim team….. Seriously, Prim will not disappoint.. and he doesn’t like popcorn… Further, he won’t have time for those famous Tv shows “Let’s Make a Deal” and “The Price is Right. Nope, he will be there to run a real sheriffs office. Gosh, you all are just gonna have to get use to it… Prim will return the sheriffs office back to the people…

    Vote Prim!

  10. You are right Duncan.

    It is funny that Harrison supporters can never defend their choice by his qualifications. Prim supporters can.

    Harrison will carry around a law book

    Prim will serve the people

  11. Wow! I’ll be watching for that Quinn pardon!

    I’m sure there were back room deals between Nygren & Quinn.

    That goes to show why we need a new/clean slate as sheriff of Mchenry County.

    Harrison has too many ties to Nygren AND THE GOOD OLD BOYS OF MCHENRY COUNTY!

    You can tell who’s who by the Republican’s that are supporting Harrison and NOT PRIM!

    These are the Republican’s that are only out for themselves and their own fiefdoms.

    Klasen, you are promised something by Harrison?

  12. Mr. Skinner: well written article.

    However, next time please consider not disclosing the relationship between the defendant and the victim.

    During the entire pendency of this federal, as well as the state prosecution, the identity of the child victim and relationship of the victim to defendant had not been disclosed, and for good reason: to protect the victim from further victimization.

    Your article would have been just as poignant and informative without such a disclosure.

    Please consider editing this article and removing any reference to the child’s relationship to the defendant.

  13. I believe she wanted to share her pain.

    She turned down the opportunity to speak in private and was allowed not to give her name.

    She has also moved three times.

    My guess is that she has changed her name.

    I could be wrong, but I was so affected by her story that I believe it needs to be shared.

  14. Quinn can’t pardon him.

    It’s a Federal rap.

    Only the President can pardon him.

  15. Thank you Cal for sharing.

    The gravity of the crime came out with words from the judge.

    Leaving out the detail that Mark is suggesting would minimize the gravity.

  16. It is a story that needs to be told.

    Though, this is not the first time Nygren refused to investigate a pedophile, because he said it was a family matter.

    I have firsthand information in regards to that….

    We can only hope the community rally’s around the family and provides them with as much support as possible…

    Pyle committed a horrific crime against his own family and I believe Nygren enabled and empowered him.

    Therefore, Nygren is just as guilty.

    Let’s hope, that justice continues to prevail!

  17. Anon is right something has to be done to help this family.

    While the pervert gets 3 squares and a roof over his head, free medical and dental care and more his victims suffer in fear and poverty.

    Sickening.

  18. Checking out Harrison’s D-2 – 1 1/2 yrs ago, people contributed to Harrison that have switched and vigarously support Bill Prim now.

    I think that speaks volumes.

    I asked about that and the answer was that Harrison showed his true colors and is not fit for the position.

  19. The entire time I’ve been reading about this case I wondered how the hell did this police officer have access to a kid under 12 to take across state lines – then to find out here that it was his own child.

    That should have made this crime even more aggravated.

    I would be delighted to hear about the sadistic karma that this man gets in jail.

  20. Harrison is a drama queen, who chooses to attack an innocent bystander, instead of addressing the real issues…

    That lawyer is old baggage…

  21. Correction – sorry for spelling and typos.

    Should say that Harrison was not the right fit for sheriff.

    New keyboard and arthritic fingers.

    Cannot get fingers to go as the same speed as my mind.00

  22. Eric – you are giving incorrect info — the information that you claim points a finger at Prim has been examined by several including First Electric Newspaper’s editor.

    PRIM NOT IMPLICATED IN ANY OF THESE CASES.

  23. Cal,

    I have commented on your blogs about Pyle previously, and I appreciate everything that you have done to keep family trashing out of it.

    You are right, the victim’s mother did want to tell her story!!

    This is a woman who has been through hell and back over the last 2+ years.

    I have known her for 40+ years and an amazed at the strength this woman has!

    I believe you should start a fund to help that poor child, whom I know, and the demons he has inside him.

    Anyone who heard her statement…..that really is only half the story!!!!!

    God Bless Cal!

  24. Brian how about a web site for people to log into and contribute?

    The Power Plant group has managed to raise over 20K on crow funding..

    It’s all about social media.

    Try web.com, for 10$ per month. N

    ot sure how much a shopping cart is.

    However, if you tell them you are trying to raise money for a good cause they will give you a better price.

  25. Duncan,

    Thinking of going that route….the State of Illinois and medicaid don’t cover anything, and to be honest, from an outsider looking in, McHenry County Sheriff’s Dept should be ashamed of themselves for their conduct towards this family.

    Reading comments from this blog…they knew he was “off” and yet, did nothing!!!!

    Oh, wait, they promoted him to the Task Force….nice call!!!

    And Lisa Madigan(who has not returned 1 of my phone calls), who assembled the Task Force, should be ashamed too!!

  26. They knew, no doubt. I have heard it from insiders….

    NOT that it makes it any better but there are more victims, more people that were told it was a family matter.

    Not all of the Sheriffs Department should be included.

    We do have some decent hard working officers who were powerless to do anything, even if they knew it was wrong. Nygren and Zinke should be held accountable…

    Madigan is another one that needs to be removed from office.

    She assembled the task force, she owes the family an explanation…..

    The tax payers need to be responsible for the choices they make, and get out on election day and make sure she can no longer be one of the operators of the “Madigan Machine”

  27. Brian, Duncan and others..I too think that would be a great idea to help a fund for the family.

    Doesn’t ILLINOIS have such a fund for families of crimes like this ?

    But, lets open a private fund raising site that we can all donate to for this family.

    The lady had to fight off cancer, now she is dealing with the injuries that his Nygren groomed MCSO Sgt did to her and her family..

    OMG, that poor kid, ruined for life, unless we as a community step up to help that kid and mom.
    LETS DO IT

  28. Keith Baby, come out, come out, wherever you are.

    You might as well fork over those $45 donations for your retirement party and donate the monies to the Pyle family…

    Everyone knows, you don’t need anymore money.

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