Ex-Joliet Central teacher pleads guilty to sex assault of student

A former Joliet Central High School physics teacher pleaded guilty Wednesday to sexually assaulting a student at a Naperville hotel in May 2017.

Thomas Connelly, 34, was sentenced to four years in prison.

Connelly pleaded guilty to one count of criminal sexual assault - victim age 13-17 and defendant held position of trust or authority.

Authorities say school staff overheard students talking about a student having a sexual relationship with a teacher. They reported that to school administrators, who reported it to police.

Connelly will have to serve at least 85% of his sentence before he is eligible for parole, and he will register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

In May 2019, Connelly was also charged by Cook County with criminal sexual assault of a 16-year-old student at his home, at a hotel or in Connelly's car, according an article in the Joliet Herald-News. His next Cook County court date is Jan. 20. The victim is the same person from the DuPage County case.