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Bond lowered for woman arrested 13 years after indictment

A Kankakee-area woman arrested more than 13 years after her indictment on allegations she molested a teenage girl formally pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges that could lock her up for three to seven years.

Michelle Abbeduto, 33, of Bourbonnais, asked for a jury trial on charges of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, attempted aggravated criminal sexual abuse, sexual exploitation of a child and unlawful restraint.

The charges stem from allegations involving a then 14-year-old girl at the Forest Academy for Young Women, a now closed home in northern McHenry County for troubled youth.

Also Tuesday, a judge agreed to lower Abbeduto's bond from $150,000 to $15,000 after hearing testimony that she never knowingly evaded authorities during the 13 years since she was charged.

In fact, she and her mother said, Abbeduto was in the custody of the Illinois Department and Children and Family Services for two of those years and receiving federal assistance for most of that time, making her easy to find.

McHenry County Sheriff's deputies arrested Abbeduto in Bourbannais last week after a member of its Fugitive Apprehension Unit unearthed a 13-year-old arrest warrant and located her address.

Despite the bond reduction, Abbeduto remained in custody at the county jail Tuesday evening, correctional officers said.