Monk guilty of battery in incident at Willowbrook temple
A Buddhist monk began serving a 30-day stint in jail Thursday after he was convicted of inappropriately touching an adult male attending temple services in Willowbrook.
Chaliaw Chetawan, 28, of Thailand, was found guilty of misdemeanor battery.
A DuPage County deputy sheriff took Chetawan into immediate custody. Judge Karen Wilson also ordered Chetawan to serve a one-year probation period in which he will be evaluated to determine if counseling is needed.
A 32-year-old man testified Thursday that Chetawan forcibly touched him in a sexual manner early March 21 after he arrived for worship services at Wat Buddha-Dhamma Meditation Center on the 8900 block of Kingery Highway in Willowbrook.
His accuser said Chetawan began following him as he walked into a bathroom and, despite the man's resistance, exposed himself and made repeated unwanted sexual advances.
"I was very humiliated and very sad," said the victim, who has a learning disability. Chetawan insisted the sexual contact began with a mutual hug and hand holding and, after the other man shunned his attempts to go further, the monk said he backed off. Wilson, though, noted Chetawan admitted in his testimony that he could feel the man pulling away as he took his hand and forced sexual contact.
The monk said he also violated his vow of celibacy and truthfulness when he initially lied to police.
Prosecutors Nicole Wilkes-English and Will Stogsdill sought a 60-day jail term. They noted Chetawan was in a position of trust and victimized the man in a place where he should have felt protected.
Defense attorney Richard Kayne said he'll likely ask Wilson to reconsider her sentence, once he has proof of travel itinerary, so that Chetawan can return to his native Thailand rather than remain a burden to the temple for the next year while serving out his probation.
"My client plans to leave the country willingly as soon as possible," Kayne said. "I think a conviction, removal from the monkhood and being returned to his country, where he will be derobed, is significant consequences."
Chetawan did not have a prior criminal record. The maximum punishment for misdemeanor battery is one year in jail.