Former Sandburg Coach Sentenced After Pleading Guilty to Criminal Sexual Abuse

A former Carl Sandburg High School coach from unincorporated Hinsdale pleaded guilty Monday to criminal sexual abuse of a 17-year-old female and was sentenced to 15 days in a work-release program and 30 months of probation.

Steven Reynolds, 27, of the 600 block of 55th Street, was working as a substitute teacher and basketball coach at Sandburg in Orland Park when he was arrested on Feb. 6. after he made sexual contact with a 17-year-old female Sandburg student at his home on Jan. 28.

The prosecution dropped one of those counts in exchange for the guilty plea. In addition to the work-release and probation, Reynolds will have to register as a sex offender for the next 10 years, perform 200 hours of public service, and refrain from all communication with the victim going forward. 

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Judge George Bakalis said Reynolds' pre-sentencing evaluation, which provides the subject's history and background to provide context for their offense, was one of the strongest he'd ever seen and said he was confident Reynolds will abide the terms of the sentence.

"You made a bad decision in this case," Bakalis said to Reynolds, who did not comment confirming his understanding of and agreement to the sentence.  

Reynolds declined to comment after Monday's hearing. 

According to the prosecution's findings, which were presented at Monday's hearing, the student had worked as a trainer of Reynolds' basketball team, and the two had exchanged electronic communications for a period of time before the relationship "turned" in 2012. 

It was then that Reynolds and the student planned a Jan. 28 get-together at Reynolds' home during a weekend his wife was out of town, the prosecution's finding said. Reynolds picked up the student and brought her to his home, where the two watched TV before going into a back bedroom. There, Reynolds fondled the student. Reynolds drove the student home later that night.  

According to the state's attorney's office, Reynolds' arrest came after the victim told her friends about the 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.

Reynolds' attorneys and the prosecution , but Bakalis decided to wait for the pre-sentencing evaluation to make it official.

Reynolds originally  in March. After he was arrested, Reynolds was in the state's custody for five days, which were credited toward his work-release sentence, meaning it will effectively be a 10-day sentence.

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