Latest news with #JeffersonElementarySchool
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Yahoo
Whiteside County judge hands down maximum 15-year sentence in Sterling attempted sex assault case
Apr. 21—MORRISON — Saying that serious crimes need to result in harsh sentences, a Whiteside County judge Monday ordered a Freeport man convicted of attempted predatory criminal sexual assault of a victim younger than 13 to serve the maximum 15-year sentence. Whiteside County Circuit Court Judge James Heuerman then went one step further by agreeing with Whiteside County Assistant State's Attorney Lauren Homan's request that 22-year-old LeAndrew Adams serve the 15 years consecutively to a 3-year prison sentence he was given for throwing toilet water at officers in November 2023 while he was being held in jail in the sex assault case. "He chose the location and he chose the victim," Homan said when speaking of the need for making the sentences consecutive, adding the victim has been in a "mental prison" inside her mind in the two years since the attempted assault Adams was found guilty by a jury in February of one count of attempted predatory criminal sexual assault, one of several filed in connection with the April 2023 case that accused Adams of luring a 12-year-old girl into an alcove near the playground at Sterling's Washington Elementary School and then sexually assaulting her. The jury at that time found Adams not guilty of two counts of aggravated battery in a public place and two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a victim younger than 13. Homan said Monday a consecutive sentence was appropriate based on Adams' criminal history that included a Cook County conviction of attempted car hijacking for which he was serving conditional discharge and a domestic battery conviction in Winnebago County. He was serving 24 months' probation in the domestic battery case at the time of the attempted sexual assault in Sterling in 2023, Homan said. He also pleaded guilty to aggravated battery to a peace officer in July 2024 for the toilet-water-throwing incident that happened while he was being held in jail, according to court documents. "There's a pattern here and that pattern is violence," Homan said. [ Whiteside County jury hears allegations at center of Sterling sex assault case ] During the trial, the victim now 14, told the jury that in April 2023, she and a 12-year-old boy classmate first met Adams while hanging out on the playground at Sterling's Jefferson Elementary School. The girl and Adams — who the victim thought was anywhere from 14 to 16 years old — exchanged Snapchat information, she said. After the two messaged each other over the next couple of days, the three got together again April 12, 2023, after Adams called the girl on her phone while she and the 12-year-old boy were at Kilgour Park in Sterling, she said. The girl testified that the three met at Kilgour and decided to head to Washington Elementary School's playground. The girl testified that when they ended up at Washington, the three sat on benches and played on the monkey bars. The 12-year-old boy had to leave, so the girl walked away with that friend but later returned to the Washington School grounds and rejoined Adams, she said. Several minutes of security footage taken at the school shows the two swinging on the playground swings. The girl said that she and Adams, whom she called Drew, walked around the playground for several minutes and into what is known as the grassy "U-shape" portion of the schoolyard that is surrounded by structures on three sides. A tiny alcove, which could not be seen on camera and is secluded, is where the two ended up, she said. The girl said that as they entered the alcove, Adams pulled her close to him, pinned her with his arms from behind, put one hand over her mouth to stop her from screaming, and then moved that hand to her neck. She said he then moved the same hand under her leggings and sexually assaulted her. She said she broke free as he was pulling down his pants and that she ran as fast as she could until she became breathless. She caught her breath and made her way to a woman who was walking near the school. The woman testified she called 911 to report what the girl had said happened to her. Whiteside County Public Defender James Fagerman, who defended Adams, told the jury that the girl's version of what happened changed over time. Fagerman reiterated those conflicts during Monday's sentencing hearing, saying the victim's stories about what happened were inconsistent. He also told Heuerman that Adams' history should be taken into consideration. He said Adams, who was born in Chicago, ended up in foster care for seven years after his parents separated when he was 4. He ran away from foster care, and later ended up living on the streets in Winnebago County. Fearing that he would be rounded up and sent back to foster care, he headed to the Sterling area, where he continued to live on the streets. Fagerman said Adams should be spared the maximum sentence, and that the judge should take into account that at the age of 20, the young man's brain wasn't fully developed and impulsive decisions and taking greater risks reflect that. "This is a child himself who is recovering from his own childhood trauma," Fagerman said of Adams when asking for the minimum four-year sentence. But Heuerman didn't agree, saying that Adams' criminal history had to be taken into account and that he was a threat to the community. Prior to Heuerman's sentencing decision, the victim read her impact statement in open court, saying she had nightmares, had thoughts of suicide, had harmed herself and was reminded of the incident when seeing the location. Calling him a disgusting person, a stalker and a pedophile, the victim said her mental pain is ongoing. "I can't get rid of the flashbacks of you touching me," she said. "I was just 12 years old," she said, adding that she is proud that she is able to stand up for herself. "I'm glad I'm getting my justice." Heuerman also said Adams, who declined giving a statement prior to sentencing, should thank the victim for breaking free of his grip and running away, because if she hadn't, Adams would have followed through, committed the assault and faced even more punishment. "The only reason he is being sentenced for attempted is because of the courage of the victim," Heuerman said. "Mr. Adams owes (the victim) a debt of gratitude for running away," he said.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Yahoo
Man found guilty of attempted sex assault on Sterling school grounds
Feb. 14—MORRISON — A Whiteside County jury has found a Freeport man guilty of attempted predatory criminal sexual assault of a victim younger than 13 in connection with a reported assault at a Sterling school playground in 2023. The eight-man, four-woman jury found Leandrew T. Adams, 22, guilty Thursday night after deliberating for 2 1/2 hours. The case stems from charges filed in April 2023 that accused Adams of luring a 12-year-old girl into an alcove near the playground at Sterling's Washington Elementary School and then sexually assaulting her. In all, Adams also faced four additional sex charges at trial; the jury found him not guilty of all four of those counts, which were two counts of aggravated battery in a public place and two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a victim younger than 13. [ Whiteside County jury hears allegations at center of Sterling sex assault case ] The trial got underway Tuesday with jury selection, with the first day of testimony beginning Wednesday morning. Under questioning by Whiteside County Assistant State's Attorney Lauren Homan, the girl, now 14, told the jury that in April 2023, she and a 12-year-old boy she went to school with met a new friend while hanging out on the playground at Sterling's Jefferson Elementary School. The girl and the new friend — a male the girl thought was anywhere from 14 to 16 years old — exchanged Snapchat information, she said. After the two messaged each other over the next couple of days, the three got together again April 12, 2023, after the newest friend called the girl on her phone while she and the 12-year-old boy were at Kilgour Park in Sterling, she said. The girl testified that the three met at Kilgour and decided that it was time to leave when some other kids got rowdy. They headed to Washington Elementary School's playground. The girl testified that when they ended up at Washington, the three sat on benches and played on the monkey bars. The 12-year-old boy had to leave, so the girl walked away with that friend but later returned to the Washington School grounds and rejoined Adams, she said. Several minutes of security footage taken at the school shows the two swinging on the playground swings. The girl said that she and Adams, whom she called Drew, walked around the playground for several minutes and into what is known as the grassy "U-shape" portion of the schoolyard that is surrounded by structures on three sides. A tiny alcove, which could not be seen on camera and is secluded, is where the two ended up, she said. The girl said that as they entered the alcove, Adams pulled her close to him, pinned her with his arms from behind, put one hand over her mouth to stop her from screaming, and then moved that hand to her neck. She said he then moved the same hand under her leggings and sexually assaulted her. She said she broke free as he was pulling down his pants and that she ran as fast as she could until she became breathless. She caught her breath and made her way to a woman who was walking near the school. The woman, Ashley Walls, testified that she was at the park with her son when she noticed a man sitting on the school grounds who was later joined by a female. She said it was that female who later ran toward her asking for help. She said the girl asked her to call 911 because her phone wasn't working. Walls called 911 to report what the girl had said happened to her. Whiteside County Public Defender James Fagerman, who defended Adams, told the jury Wednesday and again on Thursday that the girl's version of what happened changed over time. One of the facets of that story, he said, was that the girl told police that Adams had dragged her to the alcove; however, camera footage did not confirm that. And although the camera did not capture all of their walk to the alcove, the girl later admitted that she was not dragged there. She told the jury that she initially reported she had been dragged because of the emotions she was experiencing and because of things that were going on in her life. Fagerman said the fact that the girl said she was dragged and later admitted that it wasn't true showed an inconsistency that could not be overlooked. He said she told the jury that the events happened April 15, 2023, when they actually took place April 12. Another facet of testimony over the two days focused on a DNA sample taken from the girl's right ear during a physical examination. The girl testified that Adams was kissing her ear while she was with him, pinned, in the alcove. Homan said the DNA found on her ear did include DNA from a male and that Adams' DNA was a match. DNA testing results, as presented to the jury by forensics experts, indicated that DNA from three people was detected in the sample from the ear: the victim's, a DNA profile that matched Adams' and a third person who they cannot identify. The state rested its case Thursday morning; the defense presented no witnesses, with Adams declining the opportunity to testify in his own defense. In his closing statements Thursday afternoon, Fagerman said that the DNA on the girl's ear didn't necessarily end up on the girl's ear because of kissing or licking by Adams, but it could have landed there as the result of a sneeze or a "wet willy." As a result, Fagerman told the jury, the prosecution's case had come up short in proving Adams had sexually assaulted the girl. "There are holes in her story," Fagerman said, adding that she was not a reliable narrator. Homan disagreed. "She has been consistent about what the defendant did to her body," she said. Adams will be sentenced at 11 a.m. April 21. He faces anywhere from six to 60 years in prison.
