Convicted sex offender pleads guilty to new charges
A man sentenced in January for molesting an 8-year-old child with special needs at a suburban church pleaded guilty Tuesday to two additional charges of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, prosecutors said.
Robert Sobczak, 20, admitted to assaulting a Schaumburg teen who is autistic, blind and developmentally disabled between December 2012 and March 2013. In exchange for his plea to the latest class 2 felonies, Sobczak, who lived in Hoffman Estates but whose latest address is listed in court records as Niles,
received a maximum sentence of seven years for each charge. The sentences will be served concurrently.
That case had no connection to Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington.
However, Sobczak also pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges that he sexually molested a second boy at the church. A former volunteer at the church, Sobczak also pleaded guilty this year to molesting the 8-year-old at the church in February 2013. Sobczak was sentenced to 24 months of probation.
Both children attended Willow Creek's Special Friends Program for children with special needs.
The families of the two victims have filed civil lawsuits against Sobczak and Willow Creek, alleging church officials did not properly supervise Sobczak.
A spokeswoman earlier confirmed that church officials removed Sobczak from his volunteer position after learning about the initial charges.
In a written statement released in February, Willow Creek officials declined to comment on pending litigation. But they indicated they "remain committed to the safety and protection of all children and vulnerable adults who attend our church."