February 21, 2023 JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow has announced that former girls’ gymnastics coach Jose Vilchis, 72, of Channahon, was sentenced today by Circuit Judge Daniel Rippy to 96 years in prison for Criminal Sexual Assault against a female teenage gymnast. A jury found Vilchis guilty on June 6, 2022, of eight counts of Criminal Sexual Assault, a Class 1 felony, rendering its verdict in less than two hours following a four-day trial.

The abuse of the girl occurred in Channahon in 2013 and 2014 when Vilchis was a coach at I&M Gymnastics in Channahon. The jury also heard evidence that Vilchis had engaged in sexual crimes against three other teenage girls going back as far as 1997. At the sentencing hearing, in addition to a prepared statement by the victim, a police officer testified regarding two additional victims and another of Vilchis’ victims testified that she was repeatedly sexually assaulted by Vilchis in the 1990s while he was her gymnastics coach.

“Jose Vilchis is a reprehensible sexual predator who calculatingly used his position of trust and authority to take advantage of innocent girls,” Glasgow said. “He repeatedly preyed upon young gymnasts in private under the guise of being a caring coach.  I commend these young women for their courage in coming forward and telling their stories. Although nothing can undo the damage he caused, he will spend the rest of his days in a prison cell unable to prey on anyone else.”

Vilchis will receive credit for 1591 days served.

Glasgow thanked Assistant State’s Attorneys Mary Fillipitch and Tricia McKenna for their outstanding advocacy in this case. He also commended Nichole Pasteris, Director of Victim Witness Services, Albert Bailey who provided technical support, and Channahon Police Detective Craig Gunty, for their commitment in this sensitive matter and their compassion toward the victims. Additionally, Glasgow thanked Jaclyn Lundquist of the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center for her forensic interview of the victim.

The CAC was established by Glasgow in 1995 to offer services and advocacy to children who are victims of sexual abuse and severe physical abuse. Forensic interviews of children are conducted at the CAC after there has been a report to law enforcement or DCFS of severe physical abuse, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, child pornography, neglect, or exposure to violence. The CAC uses a collaborative approach to taking a child’s statement with multi-disciplinary team members that include law enforcement, mental health professionals, prosecution, and child protective services (DCFS), with the child telling their story once to a trained forensic interviewer who asks the questions in a non-leading manner in a way that does not re-traumatize the child. This protects the integrity of the information gathered and allows prosecutors and investigators to thoroughly assess possible criminal offenses that may have been committed.