11-year-old ‘acting differently’ tells mom of teacher’s sexual assault, IL cops say
A substitute teacher in Illinois is accused of having a sexual encounter with an 11-year-old student, police said.
Alley Bardfield, 32, of Mt. Zion, was arrested April 3 on predatory criminal sexual assault of a child under 13 years old and grooming charges, according to a April 4 news release from the Mt. Zion Police Department.
Bardfield was a long-term substitute sixth grade teacher in the Decatur Public Schools District.
The mother of the victim noticed her son was “acting differently” after he visited Bardfield’s house on March 29, police said.
The sixth grade student told his mother he had a “sexual encounter” with Bardfield that day, according to police.
In a joint investigation, the Mt. Zion Police Department and the Macon County Sheriff’s Office reviewed text messages, social media, and a search of Bardfield’s home, establishing enough evidence to arrest Bardfield.
“These allegations are shocking, especially when the alleged perpetrator is a person in a position of trust,” police said.
McClatchy News reached out to Decatur Public Schools on April 4 for comment but did not receive an immediate response.
Bardfield is detained at the Macon County Jail, records show.
Mt. Zion is about a 45-mile drive east from Springfield.
If you have experienced sexual assault and need someone to talk to, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline for support at 1-800-656-4673 or visit the hotline's online chatroom.
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