How Could You? Hall of Shame-Christopher and Anthony Wheeler

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 Prospect Heights,Illinois, adoptive and foster parents,Christopher Wheeler,31,and Anthony Wheeler, 25,”have been charged with aggravated criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual abuse, aggravated battery and indecent solicitation of a child.”

“Dozens of new charges alleging rape, beatings and child pornography involving adolescent boys were filed Tuesday against a northwest suburban couple who were already in custody on similar allegations.

Christopher and Anthony Wheeler, of Prospect Heights, were ordered by a Cook County judge to be held without bail after prosecutors outlined charges that they said involved three newly identified victims.

The new charges include aggravated criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual abuse, aggravated battery and indecent solicitation of a child, officials said.

The Wheelers were living with an adopted child and a foster child before their arrest in March on charges they abused three adolescent males at their home. At that time, cash bonds were set at $4 million for Christopher Wheeler, 31, and $3 million for Anthony Wheeler, 25.

“We’ve investigated a lot of sex crimes. We’ve never had one this heinous,” Prospect Heights police spokeswoman Stephanie Conboy said after Tuesday’s hearing.

The new charges stem from police interviews with three boys the Wheelers befriended or took into their home, said Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney Lorna Amado-Chevlin. She said the alleged incidents began in November 2015 when one of the victims was 11. The other victims were 14 when the abuse began, she said.

The Wheelers zeroed in on victims who were vulnerable and could be manipulated, the prosecutor said, alleging that in at least one case, a 14-year-old was beaten with pots and pans when he showed interest in girls, she said.

“The beatings never stopped,” Amado-Chevlin told Judge Steven Goebel in asking for a high bond. The Wheelers “belong where they cannot hurt another child,” she said.

The couple’s attorneys, Assistant Public Defenders Bob Fox and Rachel Baker, asked that the Wheelers be released on electronic monitoring, but Goebel rejected that based on the seriousness of the charges.

The Wheelers appear to pose “a serious threat to persons and the public in general,” Goebel said in denying bond for the new charges.

Amado-Chevlin said police obtained video footage from the Wheeler home showing the men engaged in sex acts, including intercourse, with the boys.

If convicted of the new charges, the Wheelers could each face a prison sentence of more than 300 years, the prosecutor said.

Police began investigating the Wheelers in March after a 15-year-old boy who was allegedly sexually abused at the Wheelers’ home sought medical assistance, according to authorities. Police said some of the alleged victims were also shown pornographic material and given alcohol.

The Wheelers’ adopted child was placed with a relative and the foster child was also relocated, DCFS officials have said.”

New sex assault charges against northwest suburban couple who were adoptive, foster parents

[Chicago Tribune 10/25/17 by George Houde]

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