Crime & Safety

Agreement Reached in Sandburg Coach's Sexual Abuse Case, Sentence to Come

Steven Reynolds, of unincorporated Hinsdale, will return to court for a pre-sentencing report in August.

The substitute teacher from unincorporated Hinsdale,  stemming from a Jan. 28 incident involving a 17-year-old female student, will likely be sentenced next month after it was announced Monday his attorney has reached a plea agreement with prosecutors.

Steven E. Reynolds, 27, of the 600 block of 55th Street, was serving as a sub and freshman basketball coach at Sandburg in Orland Park, when he was arrested by the DuPage County Sheriff's Office on Feb. 6 and charged with two felony counts of criminal sexual abuse.

Details of Reynolds' plea agreement were not read during Monday's brief status hearing at the DuPage County Judicial Center in Wheaton. After a conference with both sides, Judge George Bakalis said he accepted the agreement but will not proceed with officially sentencing Reynolds until after a pre-sentencing report that will take place during an Aug. 20 hearing.

Find out what's happening in Orland Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

DuPage County State's Attorney's Office spokesman Paul Darrah said in the case of Reynolds, a sentence from Bakalis is likely to be handed down during the same hearing, following the pre-sentencing report.

The pre-sentencing report will be attained from the probation department by Reynolds' attorneys and presented to the judge, according to Darrah. The report provides a "history or makeup" of the defendant, he said, including any background information that might provide context for the defendant's offenses.

Find out what's happening in Orland Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"It is meant to help the court better understand what might have put him in this position," Darrah said.

The counts against Reynolds are Class 2 felonies, which can carry a sentence of three to seven years in prison, Darrah said in February.

Reynolds was present at Monday's hearing. He is out on bond and not in custody of the state. 

Sign up for Orland Park Patch breaking news alerts

Follow us on Facebook and on Twitter. 

Reynolds' attorney, Joseph Laraia of Laraia and Laraia, PC, has told Patch that he will not discuss the case outside of the court record.

According to the state's attorney's office, Reynolds' arrest came after the victim told her friends about the alleged sexual contact. The friends then informed Carl Sandburg school officials, who immediately passed along the information to the Orland Park Police Department. 

An investigation by the DuPage County Children's Center resulted in February's charges.

The agreement announced Monday comes after Reynolds in March. , where it was requested that the discovery stage of the case be continued.

Looking for more police news?


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.