Authorities: Former Palatine man abused girls more than 20 years ago

A former Palatine man who authorities say sexually abused two girls more than 20 years ago beginning when they were 6 and 7 years old, respectively, was ordered held without bail Friday.

Monte "Shawn" Gillespie, 47, is charged with predatory criminal sexual assault, a class X felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison upon conviction. Prosecutors argued Gillespie be held without bail, saying a conviction in both cases could result in a life sentence.

According to prosecutors, Gillespie began abusing the first accuser when she was between 7 and 11 years old and he was between 24 and 28 years old.

The now 30-year-old accuser said the abuse began around March 1999 when she lived in Glenview and continued after her family moved to Palatine. The abuse ended around March 2003, prosecutors said.

The woman told her girlfriend about the abuse nine years ago but did not report it to police at that time.

Prosecutors said the second girl was between 6 and 9 years old when the abuse began when she lived in Palatine. Now 27, the accuser said the abuse began in June 2000 and continued through June 2003.

The woman told her boyfriend about the abuse 8 or 9 years ago but did not file a police report at that time, prosecutors said.

Both women told authorities Gillespie made them watch pornography and instructed them to "copy what was shown on the pornography," said Assistant Cook County State's Attorney Piotr Karpierz.

They also told authorities Gillespie told them not to tell anyone because he and they would "get into trouble," Karpierz said.

The two women reported the abuse to police in February 2022 after they learned Gillespie was living in a home where multiple juveniles resided, Karpierz said.

Gillespie next appears in court May 2.