How Could You? Hall of Shame-Bradley Wyant UPDATED

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Anna, Illinois, former foster parent Bradley Wyant, 48,was”indicted by a grand jury this month on seven felony counts of sexual assault and abuse of a child was for years a foster parent in Dongola who associates say cared for more than 40 children over 20 years.”

He ” faces four counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, all Class X felonies, and three counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, all Class 2 felonies, according to State’s Attorney Tyler Edmonds. Wyant also lived recently in Marion.

The alleged victim in this case is a child under the age of 13, and was a relative of Wyant’s girlfriend, officials said. According to his ex-wife, Wyant has not been a foster parent with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services for a number of years, but Union County Sheriff Scott Harvel said law enforcement officials are digging into his past as part of their current investigation. He was arrested in October, and is currently at the Jackson County Jail on $500,000 bond.

The charges against Wyant are not related to his time as a foster parent, but Harvel said: “We continue to investigate him. We are taking a look at his past. That’s part of the investigation.”

Edmonds said more charges may be filed “if and when that is appropriate.”

“With any case like this, any time there are additional victims, we would follow up,” Edmonds said. Both Edmonds and Harvel said they were limited in what they could say publicly about the case because the investigation is ongoing.

Bradley Wyant’s ex-wife, Billie Wyant of Dongola, said the two were married for about 19 years, and became foster parents in the early 1980s a few years after getting married. Billie said, because she could not have biological children, the then-couple decided to become foster parents.

She said the two probably cared for roughly 40 children, ranging from newborns to 18-year-olds, until their divorce several years ago. She could not recall the exact year of their divorce. During their time together, the couple  adopted two children, including a biological niece, Billie said.

Billie said she never knew of anything inappropriate going on during the time the children lived in her home, and said of the recent charges against her ex-husband, “I don’t think he did it.”

“We were married for almost 20 years and you get to know a person,” Billie said.

She said that there was one “incident” about a decade ago when the biological niece the couple adopted told state Department of Children and Family Services officials that Bradley Wyant “touched her.”

“It was proven by DCFS that he didn’t do that to her,” Billie Wyant said, adding that she believed the girl, around age 15 at the time, was “looking for attention.”

Brandi Jackson, 23, who lives outside of Atlanta, said she was one of the children under Billie’s and Bradley’s care when she was growing up in Southern Illinois. Jackson, originally of Eldorado, said she was placed with the couple at age 12, and lived with them on and off for about three years, including during her pregnancy at age 13. Jackson said she was one of six children under their care at the time.

Jackson described Bradley Wyant as a hard-working maintenance man who did his best to provide for her and the other foster children in the home. She said her foster parents also helped her locate her biological mother in Georgia, whom she eventually went to live with.

She described the living situation as “cool” and said she was shocked by the charges.

“I was confused and shocked when I saw the post,” she said of the news item. “I was like, ‘Are you serious? That can’t be right.’ I know him. … He was actually like my dad.”

A representative of DCFS said the agency does not disclose information about foster parents, including whether someone is or was a foster parent, in accordance with the law.

Wyant’s next court appearance is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday [January 20, 2015]at the Union County Courthouse in Jonesboro.”

Union County man accused of sexually assaulting a child was a longtime foster parent[The Southern 1/14/15 by Molly Parker]

REFORM Puzzle Piece

Update:“A Union County man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a child younger than age of 13 with whom he had been living in Anna.

Bradley Wyant, 48, must serve at least 85 percent of the sentence, and register as a sex offender for life, said Union County State’s Attorney Tyler Edmonds.

A few days ahead of a scheduled jury trial, Wyant pleaded guilty on Monday to two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, both Class X felonies. As part of his plea deal, two additional Class X felonies, and four Class 2 felonies of aggravated sexual abuse, were dismissed.

Previously of Marion, Wyant was arrested in October after an investigation by the Union County Sheriff’s Office.

Associates of Wyant said that he was for years a foster parent in Dongola who, along with his ex-wife, cared for more than 40 children over 20 years. His ex-wife previously said that Wyant had not been a foster parent with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services for a number of years, and officials have said these charges were not related to his time as a foster parent.

The victim in this case was the daughter of Wyant’s girlfriend, authorities said previously.”

 

Updated: Wyant sentenced to 15 years for sexual assault[The Southern 2/3/15 by Molly Parker]