(09/04/09 – Initial BadBadTeacher.com Report)
Wesley “Wes” Owens, 52, a teacher at Antioch Upper Grade School in Antioch, Illinois has reportedly been arrested on allegations of having an “inappropriate relationship” with a female former student.
According to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Owens was charged today with two counts of criminal sexual assault.
It is alleged that the improper relationsip had occurred several years ago when the girl was 15 years of age and that the alleged victim had been sexually abused by Owen starting in 1997.
Reportedly, Owens came to the attention of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office by way of Wheaton police who received a tip regarding the alleged relationship between Owens and the former student.
Investigators contacted the victim, who now lives in Massachusetts, and she acknowledged that a relationship between Owens and herself had taken place. Sheriff investigators then flew the alleged victim to Lake County to take her sworn statement after which they arrested and charged Owens.
Following his arrest, Owens was being held in the Lake County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bond.
09/08/09 – Additional Charges Filed
The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office has filed four additional charges against Wes Owens. The new charges include two counts of criminal sexual assault and two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.
The “tip” which resulted in the investigation of Owens and his initial arrest reportedly came from Kenneth Lee Johnson, a former social studies teacher at Antioch Upper Grade School, who was earlier this summer sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for possession of child pornography.
Reportedly, Johnson did not receive any reduced sentencing or other benefits for making a report about Owens.
10/26/09 – Grand Jury Indictment
A McHenry County grand jury has reportedly indicted Wes L. Owens on three additional charges.
According to the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s office, Owens initially faced only four charges in McHenry County. However, a review of police reports and other evidence revealed more allegations from the former student, leading to the three added counts from the grand jury.
11/09/09 – Court Appearance
Wes L. Owens made a court appearance today and formally pleaded not guilty and asked for a jury trial on four counts of criminal sexual assault and three counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.
Owens’ attorney Albert Wysocki said outside court Monday that Owens intends to fully fight the charges.
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I was raped at 15, and I did tell someone, the jerk got 6 months timed served and I got all the grief from my fellow class mates. I think she is a liar. You don’t hold somehting like that in for more than a decade. A 15 year old doesn’t have the mental capacity of an adult to be that smart not to say something. We will never know the truth. Only her and Mr. O do, but something isn’t right with this situation. And where were her parents, they didn’t notice a change in behavior. Please… Give me a break.
ugh. Maybe i’m just an optimist. I want to see the world in a good light…and Kimber…i feel really bad for you…but i’m running out of excuses to defend Mr. Owens… sorry
Only Mr Owens and the girl he abused know the truth. I am sure he will say that he did have relations with her but only after she turned 18. Typical response. Just like a rapist saying the girl asked for it. Yeah right. This victim was the “babysitter” for (Name deleted by site moderator)? I am sure someone in that family unit had a sick feeling something was wrong there. Unfortunately you need proof before you accuse a man with those serious charges.
I am glad the victim had the courage to finally speak up, even if it took someone else to let the cat out of the bag. It must have been a nightmare for her. My prayers are for her pain and suffering all those years.
Just because a teacher is nice to you does not mean he doesn’t go home at night and drink til he passes out and look at children on the internet. We all have secrets we keep from those we love. About time Wes admit his addictions and get help.
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JamesJ.
Well obvoiusly if they had PROOF they would have posted it on this site if any proof was released.
And also, let me just say, there are a LOT of people i know and not just students that crave attention. they say they got it from a tip? Well, if they contacted HER and not her telling anyone then that brings up some suspicion.
Now, i’m going to ask you to be realistic. I understand what you’re saying, that we’re all trying to see him in a good light, etc, etc, etc. But i never had mr. owens for a teacher; i’m on the gold team. Also, if a woman or a girl is sexually abused she’s going to tell someone about it. That’s not something you could keep secret (or would WANT to) for very long, no, i’m not speaking from exerience, OBVIOUSLY, but put yourself in her shoes. What would you do if it actually happened? Hide it for fifteen years or tell someone as soon as possible?
What possible motivation would an adult woman, now living 1000 miles away have for CONFIRMING to police that she was abused as a teen? It is very difficult to come up with a plausible explanation other then the most obvious: it is true.
August. You haven’t seen proof? Well, since you are not part of the investigation team, what kind of proof are you expecting be presented to you?
Sure there is a chance that this woman was cajoled or that she was confused or that she is just lying for some mysterious reason but let’s be realistic.
Seems that some people will go to great lengths to try and paint a person who the cops sought out to be some sort of mis-guided person. If you were fifteen and there was something going on like this, do you really think you would run and tell everyone? Then to think that it’s just a little fishy that there was a police report when the person went away to school? What do you think of when you consider the time frame? Only that Owens is innocent? Sounds to me like this went on for sometime? It is really great that Owens has such loyal followers that they would say all sorts of bad things about a victim who is older now but was fifteen then. Many of the posters are roughly the same age I would bet. (around fifteen that is)
To think that the police are going off of bad info, take that same bad info and file two charges in one county and four in another, combined with a mis-guided youth with a broken home, who “waits” to tell anyone, sounds more outlandish than a thick government plot.
I don’t know…………maybe it actually happened? No that would be ridiculous. It is much smarter to think that so many different people have one common goal ……… to oust the big O.
I suppose if you blog enough that everyone is wrong and that he is some kind of angel, (Fallen perhaps?), then you can somehow change the outcome? Sounds to me that he cast his lot but this time the fisherman has been caught.
Food for Thought, you are much too kind. You have merely caught me being decent and reasonable on a case where I believe the man is innocent until I see proof to the contrary. Now, I have to hope you don’t see some of my other posts where I use more than spicy terms and figures of speech and where I can be seen as a judgmental instigator. You have reminded me of the younger audience, here, and I am embarrassed at some of the terms and descriptions that I have used. I have resolved to leave the uncouth language behind. Just because the webmaster believes in free speech is not a license to push the boundaries of decorum. I will make an effort to try to approach the highly generous opinion you have of my comments.
Thanks August for the recognition.
I read your first post to Scott regarding the misconceptions that can easily occur in the workplace of hotel establishments. Young people do not realize the real world out there. Every adult can contribute something of interest which can open a young person’s mind to a better understanding of a situation.
I agree with you that the working relationship between Johnson and Owens would fall into that scenario. In all his years at AUGS, Johnson probably sought out Owens (if he did) because Owens had a personality that made him approachable as you say. Certainly, not because they had anything “in the closet” so to speak in common. I never remember Mr. Owens being the type of man who couldn’t hold his head up high while walking through the hallways at AUGS.
There are always two sides to a story and people these days are so quick to condemn someone. Remember the old saying of putting yourself in someone else’s shoes? Well, I was raised believing that it is wrong to pass judgement on someone else.
Young people these days are very impressionable and as adults, we are their role models. I will always continue to give someone another point of view to look at when they are bent on condemnation.