Piper City man faces life in prison after pleading guilty to sexually abusing boy

PAXTON – A Piper City man with a history of sexually abusing minors pleaded guilty to two counts of predatory sexual assault of a child on Monday, July 15, shortly before jury selection was to begin in his trial in Ford County District Court.

Karl A. Metke, 54, faces up to life in prison for his guilty plea and previous conviction for the same crime when Judge Matt Fitton announces his sentence at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 24.

Karl A. Metke, 54, of Piper City

Metke has been in the Ford County Jail in Paxton since his arrest on Monday, May 27, three days after District Attorney Andrew Killian charged him with five counts of sexual abuse of a child under 13, a Class X felony, in connection with his repeated sexual abuse of a boy. In exchange for his guilty plea, the other three charges were dropped.

According to Killian, the victim informed his boyfriend’s father in May that Metke had been sexually abusing him for about seven years. An investigation by both the Ford County Sheriff’s Department and another state agency found that Metke — who had a previous conviction for sexual abuse of a child in LaSalle County in 1999 — moved to Ford County in 2018 and continued a pattern of abuse that began about three years earlier, Killian said.

Killian thanked the team of investigators and prosecutors who helped solve the case so quickly.

“It is unusual for a case of this nature to be investigated, prepared and ready for trial within two months, but due to changes in the law resulting from the implementation of the SAFE-T Act, prosecutors have less time to prepare cases when a defendant is in jail awaiting trial,” Killian said. “Lt. Jason Buckner of the Ford County Sheriff’s Office, along with Deputy Destiny Thornsbrough, conducted a thorough investigation of the allegations, and they and the Champaign County Child Advocacy Center deserve great credit for resolving this case without the victim having to testify about the abuse she suffered at the hands of Mr. Metke.”

“The prosecution included the sheriff’s office, an investigative team from another state agency, an attorney from Clove Alliance, and paralegal Kasi Schwarz, who coordinated and attended interviews and assisted with trial preparation. This was a textbook example of coordination and collaboration among many moving parts working toward a single goal: protecting the victim from further abuse.

“However, successful prosecution in this case would not have been possible had the victim not had the strength and courage to come forward and describe the abuse she suffered as a result of Mr. Metke’s actions. Hopefully, that person can now begin the difficult road to healing knowing that she has ensured that Mr. Metke will never hurt a child again.”

Metke was represented by public defender Harvey Welch.