S. Elgin woman guilty of making false abuse report

A South Elgin woman has been found guilty of making a false report child abuse, the Kane County state’s attorney’s office announced Friday.

Kimberly Carlyle, 47, of the 200 block of Nicole Drive, was convicted Friday of two counts of disorderly conduct in a bench trial before Circuit Judge Susan Clancy Boles.

On Sept. 6, 2009, Carlyle called the sheriff’s office to report that her young child had been bruised during a visit with the child’s biological father and his wife. Carlyle claimed that bruises were the result of physical abuse.

When a sheriff’s deputy told Carlyle that she had contacted the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services to investigate further, Carlyle acknowledged that the bruises were actually ink that had since washed off. When contacted later by DCFS, Carlyle apologized, acknowledged once again that the bruising marks were actually ink and said that she had no reason to believe that the child was being abused.

Prosecutors said the report filed that day was the latest in a series of false accusations that Carlyle had made to authorities about the child’s stepmother.

During the trial, the child testified that Carlyle told him to lie and say that his stepmother abused him.

Boles set Carlyle’s next court appearance for 1:30 p.m. Feb. 19, 2014. She faces a sentence of probation or from one to three years in prison. Carlyle also is scheduled to be sentenced for domestic battery that occurred in 2012. Prosecutors say she struck her child in an attempt to coerce him to lie about his stepmother.

For the battery conviction, she faces up to 364 days in the county jail.

Carlyle remains free on $2,500 bail.