Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow’s statement regarding the Fox civil jury verdict

December 20

The quoted statement below may be attributed to Will County States Attorney James Glasgow:
 
I am extremely disappointed with the civil jury verdict in this case and have directed our attorneys to immediately begin work on an appeal. I am highly confident that the county will prevail on its appeal because the jury was not allowed to hear critical evidence bearing on probable cause. We made multiple motions for mistrial during the course of this trial because we were not allowed to present evidence that had direct bearing on the decision by our detectives to eventually arrest Mr. Fox.
 
We continue to stand behind and support our detectives and the manner in which they conducted themselves throughout this investigation. It has always been our contention that the sheriffs deputies acted properly during the interview of Kevin Fox and that they had probable cause to arrest him.
 
General Information: 

  • The appellate process can take up to three years. 
  • All of the compensatory damages will by covered by the countys insurance carrier. 
  • The county will ask for the punitive damages to be reduced or eliminated or that the bond that individual defendants post will be waived during the appellate process.

Man who drove vehicle in fatal firebombing sentenced to 20 years in prison

December 19

JOLIET — Will County States Attorney James Glasgow announced that a Joliet man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in a 2005 firebombing that killed a mother and her 4-year-old daughter.

Sergio Anguiano, 24, testified against two codefendants in the April 9, 2005 firebombing that killed Maria DeLourdes Nunez, 35, and her young daughter, Merary Nunez in their house at 419 Madeline St. in Joliets St. Patricks Neighborhood.

Anguiano drove the two codefendants to the St. Patricks Neighborhood. They exited the vehicle and went to the house, where one of the men threw a rock through the window and the other threw the firebomb.

The two men, Juan Santana and Ignacio Jacobo, already have been convicted of first-degree murder. Santana has been sentenced to life in prison; Jacobo is awaiting sentencing and is expected to receive a life sentence also.

Jacobo threw the rock through the first-floor window of the house.  Santana threw the firebomb through the broken window.

Anguiano parked a block away from the house. But he said he did not see the firebombing and did not know Santana and Jacobo intended to torch the house.

In exchange for his truthful testimony against the firebombers, Anguiano was allowed to enter a blind plead of guilty to a charge of aggravated arson. The state agreed to cap its sentencing recommendation to Circuit Judge Richard Schoenstedt at 20 years in prison.

I have a special understanding of the horrific nature of this crime because I spent countless days of my youth playing at the house right next door. This sentence brings this tragic case one step closer to conclusion, States Attorney Glasgow said.

Glasgow continued: Sergio Anguianos testimony enabled us to take two murderous gang-bangers off of our streets. However, although he did not throw the firebomb, he must pay a severe penalty for aiding and abetting Santana and Jacobo in the heartbreaking murders of this young mother and her innocent little child.

Testimony during the trials of Santana and Jacobo revealed the two men firebombed the house because they believed one of Merarys older brothers belonged to a rival gang. The brother, who was 14 at the time of the firebombing, testified he was a pretend gang member.

Nunezs two sons were sleeping in the house when Santana and Jacobo threw the firebomb. One of the brothers tried to put out what started as a small fire, but he abandoned his efforts as flames and smoke spread.

One woman testified she saw two men running toward a white Jeep Cherokee with a red interior shortly after the house was firebombed. She memorized the license plate number and reported it to police, who traced the vehicle to its owner.

The owner of the Jeep testified he had lent his vehicle to Santana, Jacobo and Anguiano on the night of the firebombing.

Two of Glasgows top prosecutors, First Assistant States Attorney Greg DeBord and Criminal Division Chief Lea Norbut-Sicinski, tried the cases against Santana and Jacobo and secured the plea from Anguiano.

The Joliet Police Department detectives were nothing short of brilliant in their pursuit of elusive leads while tracking down these cold-blooded killers.  The combination of their dogged determination and the artfulness of our trial attorneys guaranteed the publics protection from these dangerous degenerates, Glasgow said.

Former Joliet fire chief, wife each sentenced to 8 years in prison for stealing from elderly woman

December 12

JOLIET  Will County States Attorney  James Glasgow announced today (Wednesday, Dec. 12) that former Joliet Fire Chief Joseph Drick and his wife, Cheri Drick, were sentenced to eight years in prison for stealing more than $211,000 from an elderly woman.

A jury on Oct. 1 found the Dricks guilty of theft by deception, financial exploitation of an elderly person and conspiracy to commit financial exploitation of an elderly person. Immediately after the October verdict, Associate Judge Robert Livas revoked their bail and took them into custody pending sentencing. 

The Dricks befriended 82-year-old Gladys Farrington of Joliet in November of 2002 after they saw her walking through her neighborhood on a cold day. Within months of meeting Farrington, Cheri Drick had obtained power of attorney for the elderly woman and had begun writing checks on her accounts to pay for items used for the Dricks personal purposes. Joe Drick made the initial call to a local lawyer, who arranged to give Cheri Drick power of attorney for Farrington.

This prison sentence marks a sad conclusion to Joe Dricks otherwise distinguished career as a public servant, Glasgow said. The Dricks took advantage of a trusting elderly woman, and their steadfast refusal to acknowledge their responsibility for their crimes has resulted in these prison sentences. In law enforcement, we must be aggressive in our efforts to protect senior citizens who are so vulnerable to such exploitation.

Over the course of 2003, the Dricks used Farringtons money to purchase a Cadillac Escalade, pay the mortgage on the large home they own at 1400 Mason in Joliet, buy mausoleum crypts for themselves, pay for new windows on their house and pump roughly $88,000 into Joseph Dricks side business, Drick Educational Services.

Cheri Drick also cashed in certificates of deposit and changed Farringtons will to make her and her family the beneficiaries of the womans roughly $1.1 million estate. In her original will, Farrington left all of her money to the Cathedral of St. Raymond, where she had been a devoted parishioner who attended services every day for most of her life.

The prosecution argued the Dricks took advantage of Farrington by creating the false impression they would take care of her finances and act in her best interest. Farrington died in 2005.

Testimony during the nearly three-week trial showed Farrington to be a shy and frugal woman who had no debt and did not believe in credit cards. She did not know Cheri Drick was writing checks on her accounts for personal expenditures at stores like Carsons, Best Buy, J.C. Penny and Abercrombie & Fitch.

Cheri Drick had all of Farringtons mail redirected to her own house. And she isolated the elderly woman from neighbors who had helped her over the years, telling them they should stay away from Farrington.

Glasgow credited his two prosecutors, Kathy Patton and Chris Koch, for piecing together a complicated financial case and explaining the details of this exploitation clearly for jurors.

These two dedicated prosecutors sifted through mountains of financial documentation to prepare for a difficult trial that lasted three weeks, Glasgow said. They so clearly documented how Gladys Farrington fell victim to financial exploitation that after fifteen days of evidence the jury returned with a guilty verdict in only 2-1/2 hours.

Lockport Police arrest man in connection with Dellwood Park murder; State’s Attorney Glasgow files murder, criminal sexual assault charges

December 7

LOCKPORT Lockport Police Chief Bill Kendziora and Will County States Attorney James Glasgow announce that a Lockport man has been arrested and charged with murder in connection with the Aug. 26 death of 16-year-old Kaylor Spells.

Andrew Morrow, 17, of 132 Fairmont Ave., unincorporated Lockport, was charged Friday with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of criminal sexual assault. Lockport police arrested him without incident Friday morning.

The body of Kaylor Spells was found in Dellwood Park by a jogger on the morning of Aug. 26. Her body was partially clothed. The cause of death was determined to be asphyxiation.

Morrow was an acquaintance of Spells. He was identified as a suspect during the Lockport Police Departments exhaustive three-month investigation into the girls death. 

This investigation has been the Lockport Police Departments top priority over the past three months, said Chief Kendziora. Our team of detectives worked tirelessly to build the case that resulted in todays murder charges.

States Attorney Glasgow said: On Tuesday, we met with several police agencies to map out investigative strategies in a number of unsolved homicide cases. Our review of the physical evidence in the Spells case with the Lockport Police Department and the Illinois State Crime Lab led to the break that triggered these charges. This arrest was only possible through the dogged pursuit by the Lockport detectives and expedited testing by the state crime lab.

The two murder charges allege that Morrow asphyxiated Kaylor Spells. The second murder count alleges that Morrow killed the young girl while committing a forcible felony, specifically Criminal Sexual Assault.

An arrest warrant carrying a $10 million bail was issued for Morrow by Chief Judge Stephen White.

The Will County State’s Attorney’s Office reminds the public that charges are not evidence of guilt. A 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.

State’s Attorney Glasgow’s updated gang prevention book provides critical resources for parents, educators

October 3

JOLIET —Will County States Attorney James Glasgow announces the release of his completely revised gang awareness and prevention book to assist educators and parents who want to protect children from street gang influences.

States Attorney Glasgow developed and printed the 40-page, full-color book, Gangs: Awareness, Prevention, Intervention, in cooperation with the Joliet Township High School Districts YESS! Initiative. Funding for the initial printing of the book was provided through a federal Safe Schools, Healthy Students grant awarded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The book initially is being distributed to parents and educators from the Joliet Township High School District under the federal grant. Glasgow, however, will talk with other Will County school officials about funding the printing and distribution of the gang prevention book for their school districts.

Over the next year, the states attorneys gang experts will distribute more than 6,000 books when they make presentations to JTHS parents, teachers and administrators at community meetings, open houses and faculty training sessions. 

This book will serve as a critical educational tool to instruct parents and teachers about street gang activity in their own community, Glasgow said. The book provides details about how gangs operate in Will County, detailing their antithetical philosophy built on the deliberate and continuous commission of crimes against society. It also includes detailed descriptions and photographs of the clothes they wear, the hand signals they flash and the graffiti symbols they use to identify their turf.

Glasgow continued: More importantly, the book discusses the means by which street gangs try to lure our children into lives of crime.  It outlines strategies and services aimed at identifying at-risk youths and steering them away from gang influences.

Gang prevention books have been an important component of Glasgows administration for roughly 15 years. The states attorney published several black-and-white editions of the book in the 1990s, shortly after his office and Will County police departments raised the stakes in the local war against gang crime.  The Chicago Tribune dubbed one of these prevention books the primary primer on gangs.

Glasgow established the states attorneys first Gang Prosecution Unit in 1993 during his first year in office when gang shootings in Joliet had skyrocketed to 296 as of December 7, 1993.  On that date, the states attorney worked with local police and federal law enforcement officials to conduct a sweep that took 47 high-level gang members off Will Countys streets. The initiative eliminated all local gang shootings for the next three months and received national attention when it was featured on World News Tonight hosted by Peter Jennings.

Glasgows new gang prevention book was developed and updated with input from gang experts in local law enforcement, among them: Detective Sgt. Dave Margliano, who recently retired from the Channahon Police Department and now serves as an investigator and court qualified gang expert with the states attorneys office; Detective Sgt. Tom Quillman of the Joliet Police Department; Fred Hafner, who retired from the Joliet Police Department; members of the Will County States Attorneys Gang Prosecution Unit; and the states attorneys Crime Prevention Division.

Law enforcement officials who know first-hand how gangs operate in Will County participated in the creation of States Attorney Glasgows updated gang prevention book, Margliano said. The information that is contained in his book was culled from our experiences battling gang crime and working with young people to keep them out of gangs. 

Glasgows gang prevention book cites research from the Chicago Crime Commissions Gang Book as well the Bureau of Justice Assistances 2005 National Gang Threat Assessment. Like those reports, Glasgows book provides detailed photographs of tattoos, graffiti and hand signals that identify the main gangs operating in Will County the Gangster Disciples, Latin Kings, Two-Six Nation and Vice Lords as well as other gangs that have attempted to claim local turf like the Two-Two Boys, Maniac Latin Disciples and La Raza. 

Unlike those reports, Glasgow targeted parents and educators with his book. His goal is to put information in their hands to fight gang crime through awareness, prevention and intervention at the grassroots level and to complement law enforcements aggressive police and prosecution efforts.

Law enforcement cannot succeed in a vacuum, the states attorney writes in the books forward. This battle requires that we have a strong sense of family, neighborhood and community. Everyone must join the fight to stop this problem. Parents, teachers, business leaders and government officials must learn the warning signs so they can help stop gang infiltration in its tracks.

Kelli Bettenhausen, executive director of JTHS YESS! (Youth Experience Success in Schools) initiative, said the states attorneys gang book will serve as important resources for parents and faculty.

The gang prevention book created by States Attorney Glasgow brings to life the reality of street gangs, Bettenhausen said. Joliet Township High School District 204 will present this book to teachers, administrators, parents and community members to raise awareness of gang activity. The information contained in the book can help them reach out to children and students who are susceptible to gang influences.

Gangs: Awareness, Prevention, Intervention takes Glasgows 1990s books to the next level. The federal grant funding enabled the states attorneys office to print an eye-catching, full-color book that will appeal to parents and teachers. All of the information is presented in short, easy-to-read chapters that are illustrated through original art as well as high-quality photographs provided by local police departments.

The cover of the new edition was a collaborative effort by many people, all with an eye toward a clear visual representation of the true purpose of book. The gavel smashing the wall and shattering the gang graffiti conveys the positive message that we in civilized society will prevail over the lawlessness of these malevolent criminals, Glasgow said.

Interspersed throughout the book are short, real-life stories about gang cases that have been investigated and prosecuted in Will County. The true stories serve as a reminder that gang crime continues to affect the citizens of Will County. At the same time they clearly demonstrate how effectively our criminal justice system deals with these lawless acts.

School districts and community organizations can obtain more information about Gangs: Awareness, Prevention, Intervention and obtain a copy by calling Charles B. Pelkie at the states attorneys office at (815) 727-8789.

Former Joliet fire chief, wife convicted of stealing from elderly woman

October 1

JOLIET —Will County States Attorney  James Glasgow announced today (Monday, Oct. 1) that a jury has found former Joliet Fire Chief Joseph Drick and his wife, Cheri Drick, guilty of stealing more than $100,000 from an elderly woman.

A jury deliberated for 2-1/2 hours before finding the Dricks guilty of theft by deception, financial exploitation of an elderly person and conspiracy to commit financial exploitation of an elderly person.

They are scheduled to be sentenced by Associate Judge Robert Livas on Dec. 12. The judge revoked their bond after the conviction. The couple was taken into custody pending sentencing.

The Dricks befriended 82-year-old Gladys Farrington in November of 2002 after they saw her walking through her neighborhood on a cold day. Within months of meeting Farrington, Cheri Drick had obtained power of attorney for the elderly woman and had begun writing checks on her accounts that were used for the Dricks personal purposes. Joe Drick made the initial call to the local attorney who arranged to give Cheri Drick power of attorney for Farrington.

Over the course of 2003, the Dricks used Farringtons money to purchase a Cadillac Escalade, pay the mortgage on the large home they own at 1400 Mason in Joliet, buy mausoleum crypts for themselves, pay for new windows on their house and pump roughly $88,000 into Joseph Dricks side business, Drick Educational Services. In total, the Dricks spent roughly $200,000 of Farringtons money for their personal use.

In addition, Cheri Drick cashed in certificate of deposits and changed Farringtons will to make her and her family the beneficiaries of the womans roughly $1.1 million estate. In her original will, Farrington left all of her money to the Cathedral of St. Raymond, where she had been a devoted parishioner who attended services every day for most of her life.

Gladys Farrington was raised to be trusting and respectful of others. Sadly, these wonderful qualities were exploited by Cheri and Joe Drick, Glasgow said.  

The prosecution argued the Dricks took advantage of Farrington by creating the false impression they would take care of her finances and act in her best interest. Farrington died in 2005.

Testimony during the nearly three-week trial showed Farrington to be a shy and frugal woman who had no debt and did not believe in credit cards. Farrington did not know Cheri Drick was writing checks on her accounts for her personal expenditures at stores like Carsons, Best Buy, J.C. Penny and Abercrombie & Fitch.

Cheri Drick had all of Farringtons mail redirected to her own house. And she isolated the elderly woman from neighbors who had helped her over the years, telling them they should stay away from Farrington.

Glasgow credited his two prosecutors, Kathy Patton and Chris Koch, for piecing together this complicated financial case and explaining the details of this theft clearly for jurors.

Their dogged research and skilled trial work gave jurors everything they needed to come back with a guilty verdict, Glasgow said.

Second man convicted for fatal firebombing that killed mother and her 4-year-old daughter

September 20

JOLIET — Will County States Attorney James Glasgow announced that a second defendant has been convicted of murder in connection with a firebombing that killed a mother and her 4-year-old daughter.
 
A jury late Wednesday evening (Sept. 19, 2007) found Ignacio Jacobo, 21, guilty on four counts of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated arson.
 
Jacobo threw a rock through the first-floor window of a house at 419 Madeline St. in Joliets St. Patricks Neighborhood in the early-morning hours of April 9, 2005. A second defendant, Juan Santana, 28, then threw a firebomb through the broken window.
 
A fire spread quickly through the two-story house. Maria DeLourdes Nunez, 35, and her young daughter, Merary Nunez, died from smoke inhalation in an upstairs bedroom.
 
Firefighters found Nunez lying on top of Merary in what they believe was a desperate attempt to protect her daughter from the smoke and fire that engulfed the house. Both Nunez and her daughter were dead by the time rescuers reached them.
 
Santana already has been convicted and sentenced to life in prison for his role in the murders. Jacobo also faces life in prison when he is sentenced by Circuit Judge Richard Schoenstedt on Nov. 28.
 
Testimony during Jacobos trial revealed that the two men firebombed the house because they believed one of Merarys older brothers belonged to a rival gang. The brother, who was 14 at the time of the firebombing, testified he was a pretend gang member.
 
Ignacio Jacobo and Juan Santana firebombed a house and killed a young mother and her innocent 4-year-old daughter because they wanted to retaliate against a defenseless14-year-old child, Glasgow said. This irrational act of lethal brutality was perpetrated by two gutless gang bangers who couldnt run away fast enough.  Thanks to the truly incredible investigation by the Joliet Police Department, they couldnt run far or fast enough.
 
Nunezs two sons were sleeping in the house when Santana and Jacobo threw the firebomb. One of the brothers tried to put out what started as a small fire, but he abandoned his efforts as flames and smoke spread.
 
One woman testified she saw two men running toward a white Jeep Cherokee with a red interior shortly after the house was firebombed. She memorized the license plate number and reported it to police, who traced the vehicle to its owner.
 
The owner of the Jeep testified he had lent his vehicle to Santana, Jacobo and another man, Sergio Anguiano, 24, of Joliet, on the night of the firebombing.
 
Anguiano, who testified for the prosecution, drove Santana and Jacobo to the scene. He parked a block away from the Nunez house. But he said he did not see the firebombing and did not know Santana and Jacobo intended to torch the house.
 
In exchange for his truthful testimony, Anguiano will be allowed to enter a blind plead of guilty to charges of aggravated arson. He faces up to 20 years in prison upon conviction.
 
Two of Glasgows top prosecutors, First Assistant States Attorney Greg DeBord and Criminal Division Chief Lea Norbut-Sicinski, tried the cases against both Santana and Jacobo to successful jury verdicts.
 
These first-class prosecutors closed a sad and terrible case by securing convictions that will remove two callous murderers from society, Glasgow said.

John Hall convicted of torturing, murdering girlfriend

September 19

JOLIET Will County States Attorney James Glasgow announced Wednesday (Sept. 19, 2007) that a man who brutally beat his girlfriend to death inside his Joliet Township apartment over an extended period in July 2005 was convicted of first-degree murder.

John Hall, 33, of the Preston Heights area of Joliet Township, also was convicted of concealing a homicidal death and arson.

Hall attempted to conceal the murder by burning his victims body on a wood pile in a rural area in Kankakee County. He also destroyed physical evidence of his crime by torching the apartment where he killed 20-year-old Rose Bailey.

Testimony during the week-long trial revealed that Hall beat Bailey, struck her in the head with a clothes iron, slammed her fingers in a door hinge and tied her up with speaker wire and put her in his bathtub.

Hall, a local drug dealer and rap musician who went by the name of Spiderman, was angry with Bailey because she took between $100 and $120 from him. The beating occurred at his apartment on Zarley Boulevard overnight on July 1, 2005.

Hall faces up to 74 years in prison when he is sentenced by Circuit Judge Carla Alessio Policandriotes. A status date has been scheduled for Oct. 1. A sentencing date has yet to be scheduled.

John Hall is a diabolical, sadistic killer with an abandoned and malignant heart who tortured a defenseless young woman and viciously beat her to death, Glasgow said. Rose Baileys life ended in a nightmare of unspeakable pain and fear at the hands of a brutal monster. The murder conviction will remove this vile beast from civilized society.

Another of Halls girlfriends testified during the trial that she was in the apartment on the night Bailey was killed and was present when he beat her for hours and struck her with the iron. Hall refused to allow the woman to help Bailey and rejected her request to take the dying victim to the hospital. Hall also threatened to harm the witness and her family if she told anyone about the beating.

Yet another of Halls girlfriends testified that she had been beaten by Hall and burned on her back with a clothes iron. On one occasion, she escaped a beating by jumping from his apartment window.

A third girlfriend testified that Hall beat her in a liquor store parking lot and broke her nose. 

Glasgow credited his assistant states attorneys lead prosecutor Dede Osterberger, Jessica Colon-Sayre and Chris Messina for their expert trial work.

Their presentation of the evidence in this horrific case left jurors with no doubt as to who murdered Rose Bailey, Glasgow said.

New Lenox Man Gets Maximum 30-Year Sentence for 2003 Sexual Assault In Frankfort

August 23

JOLIET — Will County States Attorney James Glasgow announced Thursday (Aug. 23, 2007) that a New Lenox man who sexually assaulted a woman at gunpoint at her Frankfort place of business in 2003 has received the maximum prison sentence under state law for his crime.

David Baller, 44, of 1201 S. Spencer Road, was sentenced by Circuit Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak to 30 years in prison. Baller pleaded guilty in June to one count of aggravated criminal sexual assault shortly before his case was to go to trial. He must serve 85 percent of his sentence.

Baller already is serving a 50-year sentence for two counts of sexual assault in Orland Park in Cook County.  The 30-year sentence in Will County must run consecutive to the Cook County sentence.

David Baller committed an act of brutal sexual violence four years ago in Frankfort, Glasgow said. The sentence he received in Will County today guarantees that this cowardly sexual predator will never again be free to viciously attack another woman on our streets.

In the Frankfort case, Baller entered the victims place of business at about 8 p.m. on Jan. 8, 2003 wearing a mask and a camouflage jacket. He forced the woman into a back office at gunpoint where he sexually assaulted her.

The victim was treated at a local hospital. Semen samples retrieved from the victims clothes enabled investigators to develop a DNA profile of the assailant. However, there were no matches at the time for the profile in the national database.

Baller remained at large until 2005, when Flossmoor police questioned him in connection with a string of indecent exposures in their community. Baller also was connected at that time to the sexual assault in Orland Park. He was convicted in the Orland Park case in 2006 and sentenced to 50 years in prison.

DNA evidence collected during the Orland Park investigation matched the profile in the Frankfort case. The Will County States Attorneys Office immediately filed felony aggravated sexual assault charges against Baller.

Glasgow credited the cooperation between local police departments for linking Baller to the Frankfort attack. Solid police work enabled two of his assistant states attorneys Lea Norbut, who heads his criminal division, and Michael Fitzgerald to secure a guilty plea from a dangerous predator.

Volunteer coach who had sex with student gets 12 1/2 years in prison

August 7

JOLIET – Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow announced Tuesday that a Joliet Township High School District volunteer track coach will spend 12-1/2 years in prison for having sex with a 15-year-old cheerleader.

A jury deliberated for three hours in April before finding Marcus Grocesley (gro SES lee), 22, of the 700 block of Water Street, Joliet, guilty on three counts of criminal sexual assault and three counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.

Grocesley could have been sentenced from 12 to 45 years in prison. Circuit Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak sentenced Grocesely Tuesday morning. Grocesley must serve 85 percent of his sentence under state sentencing guidelines. He also must register for life as a sex offender.

Grocesley also faces additional criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse charges stemming from allegations he had sex with seven other Joliet Township High School District students. The seven criminal cases, which were the result of an intensive investigation by the Joliet Police Department, are pending in Will County Circuit Court.

“Marcus Grocesley used his position of trust and supervision as a volunteer coach to gain access to vulnerable young girls,” Glasgow said. “It is critical that we safeguard our children, who lack the maturity, education and life experiences to protect themselves, from all forms of sexual abuse.  The punishment for preying upon a child must be severe, and that is why he is heading to prison.” 

In the case in which he was convicted, Grocesley met the girl while she was a cheerleader at a high school football game in October 2005. They met again while she was a cheerleader at a high school basketball game in December 2005. 

Their first sexual encounter occurred in the evening after that December basketball game. The girl, who is now 16, disabled the alarm on her house to allow Grocesley, who was 21 at the time, into her bedroom.

Grocesley’s sexual relationship with the girl ran from December 2005 through February 2006. Testimony during his three-day trial revealed that Grocesley also had sex with the girl in his car and at his friend’s house. On one occasion, one of the girl’s friends joined the two for a sexual encounter. That friend testified during Grocesley’s trial.

The girl testified that she had told Grocesley she was 15. In addition, there were pictures of her in her cheerleading uniform in the bedroom where they had sex. And she prominently displayed in her room a jacket patch of the number 08 – the year she will graduate.

The criminal sexual assault charges allege the victim was underage and that Grocesley “held a position of trust, authority or supervision in relation to the victim.” The aggravated criminal sexual abuse charges allege the girl was between the ages of 13 and 17 and that Grocesley was at least five years older than the victim.

Glasgow credited Assistant State’s Attorneys Michael Fitzgerald and Mary Fillipitch for proving to jurors that Grocesley abused his position as a coach to gain access to girls for sexual encounters.

“These two skilled trial attorneys won a crucial conviction that has put a sexual predator behind bars,” the state’s attorney said.

He also credited Joliet police detectives for conducting an aggressive and thorough investigation that enabled the state’s attorney’s office to file charges in this case. 

With regard to the pending cases, the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office reminds the public that charges are not evidence of guilt. A 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.