How Could You? Hall of Shame-William J. Foster 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 Decatur, Illinois, “William J. Foster, 51, of Decatur is being held in jail on $100,000 bond after he was charged in Macon County Circuit Court with six Class X counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child for allegedly assaulting two children younger than 11.

In addition to sexually assaulting the children, Foster is accused of forcing them to have sex with each other.

If convicted on one of those counts, Foster is facing six to 60 years in prison.

He is also charged with three counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, a Class 2 felony, for conduct with the same victims that did not involve penetration.

On May 13, an investigator for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services reported to Decatur police that two children who were in foster care had been subjected to sexual abuse.

In a subsequent interview with detective Janette Carlton, the children’s foster mother said the girl told her Foster had made her “do lap dances, and he would do things to her” and that he made a boy “lay on top of her,” said an affidavit by Carlton.

The boy told the foster mother that Foster “made him and (the girl) have sex, and he watched them.”

In a videotaped forensic interview, the boy said he witnessed Foster forcing the girl to perform sex acts with him. He said Foster also “tried to have sex with him,” sometimes in the bathroom, once in the living room.

Foster would threaten them with spanking and call them brats and worse names, the boy said.

During a forensic interview, the girl said she was “pretty sure” she was 8 years old when Foster first “made me give him lap dances” and have sex with him.

She said “she was scared, shaking and screaming” as Foster abused her. He would threaten her that “she had better do it or he would make up a lie and tell her mom she did something bad.”

The girl identified an apartment complex where she would sometimes stay with Foster. Decatur police records showed that Foster lived at that residence during the time period in which the children said they were abused.

When Foster was interviewed in his residence June 4 he “admitted to watching” the children while their father was in jail and their mother was using drugs.

“He denied sexually abusing the children,” Carlton wrote in her statement. “He admitted to mental health issues and being previously sexually abused by an uncle when he was a child.”

Foster, who entered a not guilty plea July 1, is due in court for a pretrial hearing Aug. 10″

Decatur man accused of sex acts with children [Herald-Review 7/17/15 by Huey Freeman]

REFORM Puzzle Piece

Update: A search of Macon County court records shows that William will have a jury trial on 1/25/16.