Charges dropped against ex-Aurora teacher

Prosecutors Thursday dropped felony sexual abuse charges from 2007 against Robert Steck, a former Aurora teacher and wrestling coach who was convicted last December of a different set of sexual abuse charges stemming from 2006.

Steck, 42, formerly of Aurora, is serving a three-year prison sentence in downstate Dixon. He also agreed to drop his appeal of the December conviction in exchange for prosecutors dismissing the charges from 2007, said his defense attorney, Kathleen Colton.

“The appeal from the 2006 case is withdrawn,” Colton said. “My client took everything into consideration ... the strain of going through a second trial (on) his family and everybody else.”

The order approved by Judge Allen Anderson dismissing the 2007 charges also stated it was done “per consultation of victims.”

Assistant State's Attorney Christine Bayer said the victims in the 2006 case already testified at Steck's sentencing hearing and it was unlikely Steck would have received a harsher sentence if convicted on the 2007 charges.

“This (decision) is basically victim driven. They've already had their day in court,” she said. “We weren't going to get anything more (on the sentence).”

After a two-day trial in December, a jury convicted Steck of abusing a seventh-grade student.

The former wrestling coach and teacher at Cowherd Middle School was guilty 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.