Ex-Aurora teacher found guilty of sex abuse

A Kane County jury deliberated about two hours before finding Robert Steck, a former Aurora middle school teacher and wrestling coach, guilty of sexually abusing a student.

Steck, 41, of the 900 block of Shady Lane in Aurora, was charged in 2006 and convicted of six counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, four misdemeanor charges of sexual exploitation and one count of indecent solicitation. He was acquitted on four other aggravated criminal sexual abuse charges.

During the two-day trial, prosecutors argued that Steck took a troubled seventh-grade youth wrestler at Cowherd Middle School under his wing only to abuse him later.

“(Steck) can't help himself but to touch young men. That's who he is. He can't help it,” said Assistant State's Attorney Christine Bayer.

Steck's bond was revoked after the verdict. He is due in court on Monday when a sentencing date will be set. He faces up to seven years in prison, but probation also is an option.

The victim, who is 18 now, testified Tuesday that he and Steck practiced wrestling moves at Steck's Aurora home while they were both naked and also went in his hot tub while they were both nude.

Pam Ely, an investigator from the Kane County Child Advocacy Center, testified that Steck acknowledged in a July interview that he conducted “naked weigh-ins” in his classroom of the boy, who was 13 when the alleged abuse began.

Weigh-ins are common for wrestlers as they try to shed or put on pounds to compete in certain weight classes.

But Andrew Fair, a maintenance supervisor at Cowherd, testified that one day the victim's grandmother went looking for the boy at school because he was late coming home. The pair went to Steck's classroom and found the door locked, and before Fair could use his maintenance key, Steck answered the door, shirtless, and the victim was naked for another weigh-in.

Defense attorney Kathleen Colton contended that the student wrestler's charges were “allegations of opportunity.” She noted the 18-year-old pleaded guilty when he was 14 to aggravated criminal sexual assault.

Colton also pointed to the teen's recent record of felony burglary and misdemeanor assault charges and argued that he made up the story against Steck to get leniency from the state and to avoid prison.

She also argued that prosecutors had no other eyewitnesses and no DNA from the youth, which would have been in Steck's home.

Colton also pointed to new details the wrestling victim testified to on Tuesday that he never told investigators in 2006 and noted Steck took the stand himself to profess his innocence.

“This isn't some innocent little kid that Robert Steck hunted down. That's what the state wants you to believe,” Colton said. “If (the former student wrestler) has not respect for the law, why would anyone think he has respect for the truth?”

But a second witness, who is 18 and now lives in Steck's neighborhood, also testified that Steck abused him when he was 11, again after they went in Steck's hot tub.

“This supports the design that the defendant has. This is what he does. This is his modus operandi,” said Assistant State's Attorney David Belshan.