Sex Offender, Child Luring Laws to Take Effect Jan. 1

A bill sponsored in 2012 by State Sen. Kirk Dillard (R-Hinsdale) will prohibit sex offenders from participating in holiday events involving children as of Jan. 1.

An Illinois law that takes effect Jan. 1 will officially prohibit convicted sex offenders from participating in holiday events—from dressing up as Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny to handing out candy on Halloween.  Offenders who break this law (SB 3579/PA 97-0699) could be subject to fines or revocation of their parole or probation, and could face additional jail time, according to a press release from Senator Kirk Dillard's office.  “I do not believe child sex offenders should be given the opportunity to dress up and participate in a holiday event that caters directly to young children,” Dillard said in a statement. He said he sponsored the law in response to real incidents that occurred in Illinois where child sex offenders used holiday…

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Places to Avoid While Trick or Treating in Plainfield

The Illinois Sex Offender Registry lists more than 20 offenders — included sexual predators — in Plainfield.

Joliet Has Most, Naperville Has Least Sex Offenders Per Capita

Plainfield is about average compared with nearby suburbs when it comes to the number of registered sex offenders.

Last week, Patch sites around Chicago posted a sex offender registry map. We looked that data of towns surrounding Plainfield and found the percentage of sex offenders per town by dividing the number of sex offenders listed on the Illinois Sexual Offender website by a town's population. While last week you saw just the number of sex offenders, we hope this provides context as to how many live where.   The registry list includes those in a Department of Corrections facility, those who are homeless and those whose location may be unknown.  The populations in the chart are from the U.S. Census Bureau, 2011.  READ MORE:  Who Needs to Register? Persons convicted of misdemeanor or felony sex crimes involving children under age 18 as well as …

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Stacy Peterson's Brother Back in Prison

Yelton Cales, the sex offender brother of Drew Peterson's missing fourth wife, will likely miss the serial marrier's murder trial.

The sex offender brother of Drew Peterson's missing fourth wife often attended the month-long 2010 hearsay hearing held to set the ground rules for evidence in the disgraced ex-cop's murder trial. But it looks like Stacy's brother Yelton Cales won't be making it to the Will County court trial itself, as he was hauled off to prison last week to serve a three-year sentence. Cales, 32, was locked up in Stateville Correctional Center Thursday. It was his fourth trip to prison. In the past Cales has done time for domestic battery, possession of a stolen motor vehicle and aggravated criminal sexual abuse. This time Cales was sent away for driving with a revoked or suspended license. The charge stems from a March 2011 incident in the parking lot …

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Sex Offender Arrested for Being at Plainfield South

John P. Bitakis was arrested Tuesday after PSHS officials told police he had twice picked up his girlfriend's son from the school.

A convicted sex offender was arrested Tuesday for twice going to Plainfield South High School to pick up his girlfriend's son, in violation of laws that restrict sex offenders from being in or near schools. John P. Bitakis, 39, of 7512 Townsend Blvd., Plainfield, was charged with two counts of being a sex offender in a school zone after the school notified police that he had been at the school on Oct. 27 and Nov. 3, according to a story in the Joliet Herald News. School officials found Bitakis on the list of sex offenders and contacted police. Bitakis was convicted of having sexual relationships with two girls, ages 13 and 15, in 1995 and 1996, the story said. To read the complete Herald News story, click here.

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Plainly Plainfield

Female Teacher's Arrest on Sex Charge Stirs Response

Why are we so fascinated by female teachers who prey on students yet demonize male teachers for the same thing?

By now there is no one in town who hasn’t heard about the 27-year-old physical education instructor, dance teacher and gymnastics coach arrested last week when Plainfield police officers found her in a car with a partially clothed 16-year-old boy. To a lot of people, Ashley Blumenshine is no different than a male sexual predator who capitalizes on his role as a teacher to prey upon an underage student. Blumenshine abused her authority and took advantage of someone's son. It’s an easy call. She broke the law. She may go to jail. One thing's for sure, she'll never teach again. I know I am not the only one who saw Blumenshine’s slightly smiling mug shot and wondered how it could have come to this. I will venture a guess that I am not the only…

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Nick Beam

4:03 pm on Saturday, February 19, 2011

@ "Honey" - That is the most ignorant thing that has been said on here about this case. The teacher was in a position of authority and abused it. That decision was hers and hers alone. Your comment about teens feeling entitled may be accurate, but deserves to be in another story. It has nothing to do with this adult being caught in the act with a minor. I would trust if she was "being set up" (…   more ›