November 16, 2023

 JOLIET— Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announces that a jury today found Vincent Winters, 58, of Joliet, guilty of three counts of Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault of a Child (a Class X felony) and three counts of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse (a Class 2 felony) of a 5-year-old girl in 2017. The jury returned its verdict after approximately two-and-a-half hours of deliberation. Judge Sarah Jones, who presided over the four-day trial, scheduled the sentencing for January 25, 2024. Because Winters has a previous aggravated criminal sexual assault conviction from 1993, he will receive a life sentence. 

On October 11, 2017, Winters was watching the victim while her mother was at work. When the mother picked her daughter up from school, the girl was upset and told her that Winters had engaged in certain sexual acts with her. 

Glasgow thanked Sex Crimes Unit Chief Jeffrey Brown, Assistant State’s Attorney Amanda Tasker, Victim Witness Advocate Emma Rannells, Legal Secretary Jean O’Donnell, IT Specialist Bob Valiska, Joliet Police Department Officer Daniel Willis, and Retired Joliet Police Department Detective Shawn Filipiak, for their dedication and commitment in this sensitive matter. Glasgow also commended Will County Children’s Advocacy Center Forensic Interviewer Jaclyn Lundquist for her victim-sensitive interview of the young girl. 

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. 

Annually, the Will County CAC serves more than 700 children who have endured physical and sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, child pornography, neglect, and exposure to violence.