(09/05/08 – Initial BBT Report)

Stephen J. Chromik, 25, a former teacher and soccer coach at Metamora High School in Metamora, Illinois has been arrested and charged with criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse.

It is alleged that Chromik had sex with a female student between the ages of 14 to 16 in May of this year.

Following his arrest Chromik was being held in lieu of $100,000 bond.

Reportedly Chromik’s case will be referred to a grand jury.

Chromik no longer works for the school, reportedly having resigned in July and moved from the area.

At the time of his arrest, Chromik was on probation for a felony aggravated assault case from Tennessee, a case which was pled down from a sexual battery charge. As a result of the Tennessee case Chromik was reportedly placed on five years’ probation beginning in 2005 and his probation was transferred to Peoria County, Illinois.

A preliminary hearing for Chromik has been set for October 2nd.

If convicted, Chromik could face between 4 and 20 years in prison.

10/01/08 – Grand Jury Indictment

Reportedly Stephen Chromik has been indicted by a Peoria County grand jury for allegedly having sex with a female student.

06/11/09 – Guilty Verdict

Last Friday, a jury after deliberating for about five hours, found Stephen J. Chromik guilty of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.

The jury acquitted Chromik of the more serious charge of criminal sexual assault.

Sentencing is set for August 20th and Chromik faces a sentencing range of probation to up to seven years in prison.

08/20/09 – Sentencing

Stephen J. Chromik has been sentenced to four years in prison.

Chromik must also register as a sex offender.

Chromik could possibly face more prison time, as he was on probation for felony aggravated assault from Tennessee when the offense occurred.

10/12/09 – Convicted Felon Gets Third Chance

The Peoria Journal Star reports that the Metamora Township School Board voted 4-2 to hire Stephen Chromik in spite of the board’s knowledge of his felony conviction in Tennessee.

The Journal Star report quotes Metamora Superintendent Ken Maurer as saying, “We also wanted to see whether or not the state of Illinois would issue him a valid teaching certificate, or if the charge would keep him from being able to teach in Illinois”.

The State Board of Education, unlike the Metamora Township School Board, was unaware of Chromik’s criminal history.

References:

Metamora hired teacher despite prior felony (10/10/09)

Former Metamora coach gets four years for sexual abuse of student (08/20/09)

Former teacher convicted of sexual abuse (06/05/09)

Former Metamora Coach Indicted (10/01/08)

Ex-teacher to face sex charges (09/05/08)

Former Teacher and Coach Charged with Having Sex with a Student (09/05/08)

Yuri Ermakov, 25, a former assistant track coach at University Laboratory High School in Urbana, Illinois has been sentenced in absentia to a 12-year prison sentence for engaging in a sex act with a student.

Ermakov was convicted at a jury trial in July on a charge of criminal sexual assault, which alleged a sex act with a 15-year-old girl whom he dated between October 2005 and mid-January 2006 and on charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor for supplying alcohol to two 16-year-old female University High students in February 2006.

Ermakov was present for his July trial however he fled before the jury returned its verdict.

The FBI states that it believes Ermakov is now in Moscow and with no extradition treaty between the United States and Russia there is little hope of returning him to the U.S. to serve his prison sentence.

10/08/08 – Ermakov Seeks Pardon Without Serving Sentence

Yuri Ermakov has petitioned the Illinois Prisoner Review Board to be pardoned from the 12-year prison sentence he received two years ago and of which he had not served a single day.

Ermakov fled the county to Russia while a jury was deliberating his fate. He was convicted of criminal sexual assault for having sex with a 15-year-old girl, and contributing to the delinquency of a child for supplying alcohol to two 16-year-old girls.

Tamara Holder, an attorney who says she has never met her client, argued his pardon request before a four-member panel of the Illinois Prisoner Review Board yesterday in Chicago.

The review board usually makes their confidential recommendations to the governor within weeks of the hearings.

Reference:

Ex-Uni coach seeks pardon without serving sentence (10/08/08)

Ex-Uni High track coach gets 12 years in absentia (8/21/07)

(09/16/08 – Initial BBT Report)

Ronald D. Suitts, 56, a former German teacher at Larkin High School in Elgin, Illinois has been arrested and charged with criminal sexual assault on allegations of a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old female student.

The arrest is the result of a three month investigation conducted by Elgin Police after a now 22-year-old woman came forward alleging that Suitts carried on a relationship with the her from the fall of 2002 until the fall 2003.

During the course of the investigation, detectives obtained a search warrant permitting them to overhear and record conversations between Suitts and the alleged victim.

Bail for Suitts has been set in the amount of $100,000.

If convicted, Suitts faces up to 15 years in prison.

Background Info:

News media reports indicate that in July, 2005 Roand D. Suitts was arrested on allegations of sexually abusing a 15-year-old female student at the school.

Originally he was charged with four counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse for acts investigators say took place from Jan. 1, 2001, to July 1, 2004.

In January, 2007 it is reported that Suitts, in a plea deal, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery and was sentenced to two years strict probation, barred from teaching in Illinois classrooms and required to give up his teaching certificate.

10/02/09 – Guilty Plea

Reportedly, Ronald D. Suitts pleaded guilty Friday to to aggravated criminal sexual abuse for sexually abusing a 16-year-old student.

Under the plea deal, Suitts was sentenced to four years of sex offender probation and three months of electronic home monitoring.

Kane County Judge Thomas E. Mueller also ordered him to have no unsupervised contact with children other than his own.

References:

Former Larkin teacher guilty of sex with student (01/02/09)

Larkin teacher charged with having sex with teen (09/16/08)

Bond Set For Teacher Accused Of Sexual Assault (09/16/08)