A press release from the McHenry County State’s Attorney:
ROBERT LUCHT SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS IN THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
Louis A. Bianchi, McHenry County State’s Attorney, announces that Robert Lucht, 56, formerly of Lake in the Hills, was sentenced to 25 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for three counts of the offense of Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault of a Child and one count of the offense of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse.
The Defendant was found guilty at a jury trial on October 3, 2012.
This case was investigated by the Lake in the Hills Police Department.
The victim of the assaults was an 11 year old child who was admitted to a hospital for suicidal intentions and for harming herself.
She then reported that she had been sexually assaulted by the defendant multiple times between the ages of seven and nine.
When the defendant was confronted with the allegations by the police he gave a written confession admitting he assaulted the child.
The case was prosecuted by Sharyl Eisenstein and Michael Combs, Chief of the Criminal Division of the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office.
As you can see below, the arrest of former McHenry County Sheriff’s Sgt. Greg Pyle, who was in charge of the evidence room at the office, has been followed by his indictment:
McHENRY COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTY INDICTED ON FEDERAL CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE AND EXPLOITATION CHARGES
Greg Pyle
Rockford — A McHenry County Sheriff’s Deputy was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury and charged with one count of crossing state lines to engage in a sexual act with a minor under 12 years of age, and one count of using a minor to engage in sexual conduct to produce child pornography.
The defendant, Gregory M. Pyle, 37, of Crest Hills, Ill., formerly of Crystal Lake, Ill., has been in custody since his arrest on a criminal complaint August 14, 2012.
According to court documents, an individual under investigation for child pornography identified the user names of other individuals with whom he had traded child pornography over the internet.
Pyle was allegedly identified as the person using two of those user names.
The complaint alleges that Pyle transmitted sexually explicit images via the internet under those user names, including depictions of a minor child.
During a later interview, the minor stated that Pyle had sexually abused him on multiple occasions, including on a trip to Wisconsin.
The complaint alleges that in December 2008 Pyle traveled to Wisconsin with the child, then 10 years of age, with the intent to engage in a sexual act with the child, and to produce child pornography that was then transmitted via the internet.
The indictment was announced by Gary S. Shapiro, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and William C. Monroe, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Illinois State Police and the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce assisted in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant United States Attorney Michael D. Love.
Crossing a state line to engage in a sexual act with a minor under 12 carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years and a maximum of life in prison, and
sexual exploitation of a child under 12 years of age for the purpose of producing child pornography carries a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison, and
both counts carry a $250,000 maximum fine.
If convicted, the actual sentence will be determined by a United States District Court Judge, guided by the United States Sentencing Guidelines.
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
A press release from Just Detention International, which used to be called Stop Prison Rape:
FINALLY — NATIONAL STANDARDS TO STOP PRISONER RAPE
Nine years after passage of the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) of 2003 and almost two years after missing its statutory deadline, the Department of Justice releases strong, binding standards to end sexual abuse in U.S. corrections facilities
U.S. Department of Justice statistics say 216,600 people are sexually abused in prison every year.
Highlights:
PREA applies to all federal confinement facilities; several agencies – including the Department of Homeland Security – now need to develop PREA standards.
Ban on routine pat-down searches of female adult inmates by male staff.
Strong protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) inmates.
Youth in adult facilities will no longer be detained in housing units with adults.
All facilities must be audited by independent auditors every three years.
Washington, D.C., May 17, 2012 – Today the Department of Justice finally issued its long-delayed national standards aimed at ending the crisis of sexual abuse in U.S. corrections facilities. Mandated by the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) of 2003, the new regulations are a milestone in the effort to end rape and other forms of sexual victimization of inmates. The PREA standards are immediately binding on federal prisons; other facilities have one year to comply.
According to the Department of Justice’s own estimates, at least 216,600 people are sexually victimized every year while in prisons, jails, and youth detention facilities.
The Bureau of Justice Statistics released a study based on 2008 data today.
A major new Department of Justice study – also released today – confirmed the crisis of sexual abuse in U.S. detention, finding that a shocking one in ten state prisoners had been victimized during their most recent period of detention.
“Sexual abuse in detention shatters hundreds of thousands of lives of men, women, and children every year,” said Lovisa Stannow, Executive Director of Just Detention International.
“We have fought long and hard for the PREA standards.
“They have the potential to cut prisoner rape dramatically.”
Today’s PREA standards cover
federal [prisons]
state prisons,
jails,
youth detention facilities,
police lock-ups, and
community corrections facilities (such as halfway houses).
They detail concrete, common-sense steps that facilities must take to prevent and respond to sexual abuse, incorporating many – though not all – of the reforms championed by Just Detention International.
Founded in 1980 by a prisoner rape survivor, Just Detention International was instrumental in developing and securing the passage of PREA and has since led the push for strong, binding standards.
Unfortunately, the standards include several dangerously weak points.
This floor of the McHenry County Jail where illegal aliens are housed are not affected by the new Federal anti-rape regulations. Homeland Security promises, however, that parllel regulations will be revealed within 120 days.
For instance, while banning routine pat-down searches by male staff of female inmates, they fail to prohibit female staff from conducting pat-down searches of male inmates, even though the Department of Justice’s own study released earlier today showed widespread abuse by female staff of male inmates.
Additionally, the Obama Administration chose not to apply the PREA standards to immigration detention facilities, contrary to Congressional intent.
The Administration did, however, issue a crucial Presidential Memorandum this morning, confirming that PREA applies to “all agencies with Federal confinement facilities.”
In response, the Department of Homeland Security, which administers immigration detention facilities, already announced that it has begun developing its own PREA standards and will issue a draft for public comment within 120 days.
“The Presidential Memorandum rightly points out that all federal agencies must comply with PREA,” said Stannow.
“In the coming year, Just Detention International looks forward to working with these agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Defense, to finalize their PREA standards.”
Among the many strengths of the PREA standards, they require that particularly vulnerable inmates – such as those who are
lesbian,
gay,
bisexual, or
transgender
–be housed safely.
They spell out requirements for inmate education and staff training on sexual abuse prevention, including specialized training for investigative and medical staff.
The standards also demand that facilities offer survivors access to rape crisis counselors – trained experts who provide crisis intervention and emotional support in the aftermath of an assault.
The Obama Administration dragged these regulations out for years.
The standards require that youth in adult facilities no longer be detained in housing units with adults.
Crucially, the standards remove a proposed 20-day time limit for victimized inmates to report the abuse, and they also insist that all facilities be audited by independent auditors every three years.
Many prisons and jails started adopting draft versions of the PREA standards years ago, in collaboration with Just Detention International. State prisons in California and Oregon and the Miami-Dade County jail are among facilities that already have launched groundbreaking projects aimed at ending sexual abuse of inmates.
“We know from our extensive on-the-ground work that the PREA standards can transform corrections culture,” said Stannow.
“Working inside prisons and jails, we have seen how basic, low-cost changes to policy and practice can trigger enormous improvements in transparency, respect between staff and inmates, and overall safety.”
Survivors of sexual abuse in detention have been at the forefront of the fight for strong PREA standards.
One of them, Jan Lastocy, who was raped several times a week for seven months by a Michigan prison official while serving time for attempted embezzlement, said:
“I have dreamed of this day for years. The PREA standards aren’t perfect, but they are an amazing tool for making prisons safer,” said Lastocy, a member of Just Detention International’s Survivor Council. “I don’t need revenge. All I want is to know that others won’t have to live through the horror I endured. Now we need to use these standards and stop prisoner rape once and for all.”
For more information, or to speak with a survivor of prisoner rape, please contact Jesse Lerner-Kinglake at jkinglake@justdetention.org. Tel 213-384-1400, ext. 113; cell: 424-230-4540.
AP wrote a story about the Obama Administration's Title IX campus rape regulations Sunday.
Eric Holder begins his introductory remarks to U.S. Justice Department web site readers with this statement:
“The primary mission of the United States Department of Justice is to do justice.
“Our only responsibility it to do the right thing.”
If Holder really believes that why has he not met the statutory deadline for issuing rape in prison regulations.
The deadline was June 23, 2010.
It’s almost two years later.
In June of 2009, proposed regulations were made public.
There was a comment period.
It’s long over.
The Washington City Newspaper had an article covering a Jue 23, 2010 press conference by Lovisa Stannow, Just Detention International (previously called Stop Prison Rape) Executive Director.
Naturally, she decried that day’s missed deadline.
It’s now almost two years later.
A former white collar criminal from a Colorado prison also spoke.
Let me show you the part about him:
“Scott Howard-Smith, a survivor of sexual abuse while incarcerated on theft and tax code violation charges, also shared his story on the call.
“‘The attacks that I suffered were devastating,’ said Howard-Smith, who detailed how a white supremacist gang in his Colorado prison ‘raped, assaulted, and extorted’ him in an attempt to convince him to commit fraud on their behalf.
“The abuse didn’t stop with fellow inmates.
“‘My efforts to report were often fruitless,’ Howard-Smith says.
“Corrections officers refused to help him unless he identified all of his assailants by name and detailed their illegal activities, a move Howard-Smith thought would have put him at greater risk in the facility.
“Other officials informed Howard-Smith that ‘as a homosexual I should expect to be targeted by one gang or another,’ while refusing to offer him added protections.”
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder
(Virginia U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf seems to be the main pushing Holder. He and other need to push more.)
Another part of President Barack Obama’s administration, the U.S. Department of Education, did manage to promulgate regulations against sexual assault on college and university campus.
An Associated Press article on Sunday, May 22, 2012, reported on that. (Can’t find the Sun-Times link, but here’s the one to the USA Today story.)
That version reports,
“…as Title IX is now interpreted…colleges must respond if a sexual assault is reported, even if prosecutors refuse to get involved.
“Moreover, they face often precise instructions from the government for conducting their investigations and proceedings, and even the standard of proof to use.”
Now, why would the Obama folks go after rape in college, but not in prison?
Could it be because college coeds can vote and most prisoners can’t?
A press release from the Crystal Lake Police Department:
Caregiver Arrested for Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault
On October 24th, 2011 Angelo J. Bird, a twenty-two year old male, was taken into custody by the Woodstock Police Department pursuant to a warrant for Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault, a Class X Felony.
He was arrested at his residence, 885 Prairie View Lane, Woodstock, IL at 6:30 PM, and transported to the McHenry County Jail.
The arrest was the result of an investigation initiated by the Crystal Lake Police Department on September 25th, 2011 at which time a ninety-three year old female victim alleged that her caregiver had sexually assaulted her.
The victim was in the care of the Crystal Pines Rehabilitation and Health Care Center which is located at 335 N. Illinois St., Crystal Lake, IL at the time the incident reportedly occurred.
It is alleged that the offender digitally penetrated the victim’s vagina during the course of his duties as a Certified Nurse’s Assistant at the care center during the early morning hours of September 25th, 2011.
Once the incident was reported to authorities, the victim was transported to Centegra Hospital in Woodstock where she was examined and met with police.
The offender posted bond (10% of $40,000.00) after being processed at the McHenry County Jail and released with a court date of November 17th, 2011.
During the course of this investigation, the staff at the Crystal Pines Rehabilitation and Health Care Center cooperated with this investigation which ultimately led to the arrest of Angelo J. Bird.
Offender: Angelo J. Bird, M/W, DOB: 04-24-89, 885 Prairie View Lane, Woodstock, IL
A press release from the McHenry County State’s Attorney:
McCULLOM LAKE MAN SENTENCED TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON
Louis A. Bianchi, McHenry County State’s Attorney, announces that 33 year old Charles Dickerson was sentenced today to 20 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the Class X felony offense of Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault following a negotiated plea of guilty.
Truth in sentencing guidelines mandate that he must serve 85% of his sentence.
Dickerson also will be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.
The victim of the offense was five years old when the defendant sexually assaulted him.
This case was investigated by the McCullom Lake Police Department and the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department and was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorney Michael Combs.
A press release from the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office:
CRYSTAL LAKE MAN SENTENCED TO 19 YEARS FOR AGGRAVATED KIDNAPPING AND ATTEMPTED CRIMINAL SEXUAL ASSAULT
Steven Hess
Louis A. Bianchi, McHenry County State’s Attorney, announces that Steven W. Hess, 57, of Crystal Lake, was sentenced to 19 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the offenses of Aggravated Kidnapping and Attempted Criminal Sexual Assault. The defendant will be legally required to serve 85% of his sentence.
On December 9, 2009, the defendant confronted his ex-girlfriend, a 53 year old Crystal Lake woman, at her place of employment.
He was able to convince her to get into his car, whereupon he tied a rope around her neck, tied her wrists together with plastic zip ties and drove her to a vacant store where he served as a property manager.
The defendant attempted to force the victim into the basement of the vacant store by striking her with his fists and spraying her face with pepper spray.
Steven Hess
A bystander, who was driving in the area, shouted at the defendant allowing the victim to flee to a nearby business.
The police responded to the area, searched the basement and discovered a makeshift bed, pre-tied ropes, twist ties, knives and other items indicating that the defendant planned to commit a sexual assault.
The defendant was located the following morning after the car that he used to transport the victim was found burning in a field in unincorporated Woodstock.
The defendant later confessed that he intended to have sex with the victim and to post the assault on the internet.
This matter was investigated by Det. Houlihan, Det. Ford, Det. Nystrom and Det. Will of the Crystal Lake Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorney Ryan Blackney.
That’s what the following press release from the McHenry County State’s Attorney says:
CRYSTAL LAKE MAN SENTENCED TO TWENTY YEARS FOR HOME INVASION AND CRIMINAL SEXUAL ASSAULT
Louis A. Bianchi, McHenry County State’s Attorney, announces that Robert J. Minerly, 35, was sentenced to 20 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the offenses of Home Invasion and Criminal Sexual Assault, following a plea of guilty to those charges.
Defendant was sentenced to
10 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the class X felony offense of Home Invasion and
10 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the class 1 felony offense of Criminal Sexual Assault.
These sentences are consecutive under Illinois sentencing laws, bringing the total to 20 years.
On August 14, 2009, the defendant entered the victim’s room at the Crystal Lake Motel.
Once inside the room he climbed on top of the sleeping victim, placed a rope around her neck from behind, and began to choke her.
The victim struggled with the defendant and was eventually gagged with a sock.
The defendant sexually assaulted the victim and then fled the scene.
The defendant was linked to the crimes by the victim’s description of a Toyota baseball cap worn during the assault and by DNA evidence.
This matter was investigated by the Crystal Lake Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorney Ryan Blackney.
A press release from the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office about the man who kidnapped a woman from Sam’s Club parking lot who was saved by a Good Samaritan near Taco Bell. Both establishments are on Route 14 in Crystal Lake.
CRYSTAL LAKE MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO AGGRAVATED KIDNAPPING
AND ATTEMPTED CRIMINAL SEXUAL ASSAULT
Louis A. Bianchi, McHenry County State’s Attorney, announces that Steven W. Hess, 57, plead guilty today to
the Class X felony offense of Aggravated Kidnapping and
the class 2 felony offense of Attempted Criminal Sexual Assault.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 6, 2011 and the defendant faces up to 30 years in prison and will be legally required to serve 85% of his sentence.
Photo of Steven W. Hess provided by the McHenry County Sheriff's Department.
On December 9, 2009, it was alleged that the defendant confronted his ex-girlfriend, a 53 year old Crystal Lake woman, at her place of employment.
He was able to convince her to get into his car, whereupon he tied a rope around her neck, tied her wrists together with plastic zip ties and drove her to a vacant store where he served as a property manager.
According to witnesses, the defendant attempted to force the victim into the basement of the vacant store by striking her with his fists and spraying her face with pepper spray.
A bystander, who was driving in the area, shouted at the defendant allowing the victim to flee to a nearby business.
The police responded to the area, searched the basement and discovered a makeshift bed, pre-tied ropes, twist ties, knives and other items indicating that the defendant planned to commit a sexual assault.
The defendant was located the following morning after the car that he used to transport the victim was found burning in a field in unincorporated Woodstock.
The defendant later confessed that he intended to have sex with the victim and to post the assault on the internet.
This matter was investigated by the Crystal Lake Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorney Ryan Blackney.
On 09-18-10, Harvard Police received a report that a female 4 yoa, victim was sexually assaulted at a residence in Harvard previously in the day.
It was reported a 51 yoa male suspect engaged in sexual conduct with the victim.
Mario Ramirez
Subsequent investigation into the matter resulted in the issuance of an arrest warrant on 10-15-10 for the suspect, Mario Ramirez (m/ 51 yoa) of 1312 Sage Ln. Harvard.
He was charged with Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault of A Child, a class X felony and Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse, a class 2 felony there was no bond set.
At about 12:10 hrs, the Harvard Police Department assisted the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department in the arrest of the suspect, Mario Ramirez at him home.
Ramirez was arrested without incident and transported to the McHenry County Jail.
This is a journal of news and opinion designed to bring to light matters of public interest and to encourage public participation in the governmental process.
Emphasis will be on McHenry County, but Illinois state news will be covered. Articles and photos are copyrighted and may not be reproduced without explicit written permission.
