Teacher brought boy, 11, home for 'play dates' then raped him
Alley Bardfield, 34, is set to be sentenced in September after pleading guilty to predatory criminal assault against a sixth-grade student.
The former Decatur Public Schools substitute teacher admitted the crime after reaching a plea deal with prosecutors over the sole count against her.
Bardfield was thrust into the spotlight in April 2024, when the victim's parents filed a lawsuit saying he visited her home in Mount Zion for 'play dates' the month before.
'The victim's mother reported noticing her son acting differently after a visit to Bardfield's house,' Mount Zion Police said in a statement last year.
'As a result, she checked her son's phone and social media. In a follow up discussion with her son, he disclosed having had a sexual encounter with Bardfield while a guest at her Mt. Zion residence on March 29, 2024.'
The boy's mother said she looked through his phone and found texts between her son and the teacher and photographs of them 'flipping of the camera' together.
She also discovered the teacher had allegedly sent her son $700 over several months.
The horrified mother took him to HSHS St John's Hospital where staff administered a rape kit.
Detectives interviewed the boy shortly afterward and he told them Bardfield took him to her bedroom where they kissed and she took off both their clothes.
They then assaulted him on her bed, which she usually shares with her husband Casey Newton Bardfield, a construction worker.
Police devised a plan with the boy and his mother to get Bardfield to incriminate herself in text messages and recorded calls with him.
The boy sent her a message telling her he was going out of town, but hoped to see her again when he came back.
'I love you and I miss you, Alley. When I come back I'll see if I can come over,' he wrote.
Bardfield allegedly replied: 'You're always welcome. I love and miss you too.'
Police obtained a court order for a wiretap and had the boy call Bardfield later that day, when she told him 'her tubes are tied and that she cannot get pregnant'.
'The victim asked Alley if he came over this weekend… if they could "do it again". Alley responded "Yes",' the affidavit continued.
'These allegations are shocking, especially when the alleged perpetrator is a person in a position of trust,' the department added.
'The Mt. Zion Police Department is fully committed working with victims and their families as they deal with the trauma that results from these incidents.'
The boy gave police more details about the 'play dates' during interviews, and Bardfield admitted during a grilling by detectives to sleeping with the boy.
She also said she gave him money via CashApp and to exchanging naked photographs on SnapChat with the boy, according to police.
Decatur Public Schools fired Bardfield shortly after the allegations were aired, and she pleaded guilty as part of the deal 16 months later.
The boy's family plan to sue the school district for failing to properly train and supervise staff to ensure the safety and well-being of its students.
'Ms Bardfield's actions have had a profound and lasting impact on our client, which will likely lead to significant physical, emotional, and psychological challenges,' the family's lawyers said in a statement.
'As a result, we will be pursuing justice not only against Ms Bardfield but also the school district as a whole.'
Bardfield was a long-term substitute teacher for the school district, including DPS District 61 where the alleged victim studied.
The Decatur Public Schools District said at the time that she was no longer employed.
'While none of the alleged conduct occurred at a DPS school, student safety is always our top priority. We are working with Mt. Zion Police and providing support to students and staff,' it said.
Predatory criminal sexual assault is punishable by up to 60 years in prison. However, prosecutors agreed to cap the recommended sentence at 40 years.
Bardfield will learn her fate at a sentencing hearing scheduled for September 25.
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