In The Courts: Former District 300 Teacher Charged With Sex Abuse of Child
The following is a roundup of Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office news releases from Thursday, July 13, through Thursday, July 20, 2017.
FORMER DISTRICT 300 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SUBSTITUTE TEACHER CHARGED WITH SEX ABUSE OF CHILD
July 19, 2017
The Kane County State’s Attorney has authorized sexual abuse charges against a former Community Unit School District 300 substitute teacher.
Kane County prosecutors have charged 61-year-old Carlos A. Bedoya with four counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, each a Class 2 felony.
Prosecutors allege that between August 2016 and May 2017 Bedoya made sexual contact with the victim, who is younger than 13 years old.
Bedoya was taken into custody by Carpentersville police on July 18, 2017.
Bedoya appeared Wednesday (July 19, 2017) in Kane County bond court. Bail was set at $200,000, with 10 percent ($20,000) to apply for bond. His next court appearance is set for 9 a.m. July 26, 2017, in Courtroom 311 at the Kane County Judicial Center in front of Circuit Judge Donald M. Tegeler, Jr.
If he posts bond, Bedoya is to have no contact with the victim.
If convicted, Bedoya faces a minimum sentence of probation or three years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. In addition, Bedoya would register for life as a sexual offender in accordance with the Illinois Sex Offender Registration Act.
The case remains under investigation. Anyone with information should call their local police department or the Kane County Child Advocacy Center at (630) 208-5160.
The charges against Bedoya are not proof of guilt. Bedoya is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the state’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
DENVER MAN GETS 50 YEARS IN 2014 MURDER OF BARTLETT MAN
July 13, 2017
A Kane County judge has sentenced a Denver, CO, man to prison for murdering a Bartlett man in West Dundee 21⁄2 years ago to avoid paying a drug debt.
Circuit Judge John A. Barsanti on July 13 sentenced 38-year-old Gary M. Bennett to 50 years’ imprisonment in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
A Kane County jury on March 7, 2017, convicted Bennett of first-degree murder and concealing a homicidal death in the Aug. 10, 2014, shooting death of 36-year-old Keith K. Crawford of Bartlett. In addition the jury found that Bennett personally fired the gun that killed Crawford.
Kane County prosecutors presented evidence that Crawford frequently supplied cocaine to Bennett, and Bennett owed Crawford money for the drugs. The night of Aug. 10, 2014, Bennett and his friend, co-defendant Joan Sebastian Vado-Bonilla, 29, of West Dundee, drove to a party in unincorporated Dundee Township, where Bennett convinced Crawford to drive with them to a location near Valley View to get money to partially repay Crawford and to buy more cocaine.
Crawford sat in the front passenger seat and Bennett sat behind Crawford, with Vado-Bonilla driving. As the car traveled south on Route 31 in West Dundee, Bennett drew a handgun and shot Crawford in the back of the head, killing him. Bennett and Vado-Bonilla put Crawford’s body into a Dumpster garbage bin at an apartment complex on Todd Farm Road in Elgin. Crawford’s body was never found.
The case was unsolved for nearly a year until Vado-Bonilla came forward and agreed to cooperate with investigators.
Vado-Bonilla pleaded guilty Dec. 11, 2015, to concealment of a homicidal death, a Class 3 felony.
The sentence is 20 years for first-degree murder plus a mandatory 25-year enhancement because Bennett fired the gun that killed Crawford, plus five years for concealing the homicide.
According to Illinois law, Bennett must serve the full murder sentence. He is eligible for day-for-day credit on the concealment sentence. He receives credit for 690 days served in the Kane County jail.
“Mr. Bennett chose greed over Keith Crawford’s life. His violence was fueled by his frequent drug use, his ego and his complete lack of respect for human life. Those misplaced priorities mean he most likely will die in prison. I hope Keith Crawford’s family feels a sense of justice in this sentence,” Kane County State’s Attorney Joe McMahon said.
“I extend our thanks to the many men and women from local, state and federal law- enforcement agencies who put in a tremendous amount of work in this case – the West Dundee Police Department, the Kane County Major Crimes Task Force, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bartlett Police Department and the Denver Police for their hard work in this investigation,” McMahon said.
State’s Attorney McMahon, along with Kane County Assistant State’s Attorneys Joseph Cullen and Vincent Coyle prosecuted the case.
SOURCE: Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office news releases. To follow news releases directly from the SAO, visit the State’s Attorney’s website and Facebook page. All photos are from the KCSAO Facebook Page.
