Man charged with sexual assault of mentally disabled Marklund resident – ​​Shaw Local

A Kane County grand jury has indicted a man on six counts of sexually abusing a mentally disabled woman, court records show.

The victim is a resident of the Marklund Hyde Center Campus near Geneva who gave birth to her child on April 10 at Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital, authorities said.

Marklund is a nonprofit organization that provides residential, educational and therapeutic services for people with severe developmental disabilities.

According to court records, Isaiah S. Fields, 22, of Chicago, was charged last month with three counts of aggravated sexual assault of a person incapable of consensual conduct or consent (Class X felonies), one count of sexual assault of a person incapable of consensual conduct or consent (Class 1 felonies) and two counts of aggravated assault of a physically incapacitated person (both Class 3 felonies).

The most serious charges against Fields are three counts of aggravated sexual assault, Class X felonies punishable by six to 30 years in prison if convicted.

According to the indictment, the attack occurred sometime between August 1 and September 5, 2023.

According to records, Fields is being held without bail in the Kane County Jail.

His lawyer did not respond to a voicemail message seeking comment.

The woman’s legal guardian filed court documents last month to assert victim rights in the criminal case.

Gil Fonger, president and CEO of Marklund, said the Illinois Department of Public Health found all three of Marklund’s residential facilities to be in compliance with state regulations after an inspection.

“When an incident like this occurs, the IDPH takes you through a whole process until you are released from supervision,” Fonger said. “We have been in that process since April.”

The Hyde Center cares for 96 adults with severe and profound developmental disabilities who live in six 16-bed nursing homes.

The woman who was attacked has lived there for over 20 years, Fonger said.

Staff there were unaware of her condition because part of her disability was a distended abdomen. When her lab results were examined, she was transferred to Delnor on April 9 and then Marklund officials were informed that she was pregnant — and that there was a case of sexual abuse, Fonger said.

“Since we first learned of the sexual abuse incident, they have been monitoring staff at all locations,” Fonger said.

In addition to the Hyde Center in the Mill Creek neighborhood of Blackberry Township, Marklund also has residential facilities in Elgin and Bloomingdale.

“There have been minor changes to policies and procedures, and no new violations have been identified in exit surveys,” Fonger said. “They have made some minor changes to our policies, but nothing significant has changed in what we do.”

Since the incident became known, social services have been supporting other employees and staff.

“The staff responded amazingly well throughout the whole thing,” Fonger said. “It’s tough being under supervision and questioning staff about policies and procedures. It was incredibly stressful, but they got through it all with amazing dignity.”

Fonger said he could not comment on the child for medical reasons.

“Marklund never asked a question on any of our (IDPH) surveys in all these years,” Fonger said. “This was a horrible, nasty incident. This is the worst incident I’ve ever experienced in my entire career. It was a punch in the gut.”

According to court records, Fields’ next court date is scheduled for August 14.