Lawsuit Information Center
This page looks at sex abuse lawsuits involving juvenile inmates at the Illinois Youth Center St. Charles (IYC St. Charles).
Like many other juvenile detention facilities in Illinois, sexual abuse and mistreatment of juvenile inmates has been rampant at IYC St. Charles for decades. The Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ) negligently failed to protect juvenile inmates at IYC St. Charles. As a result, victims are now filing civil lawsuits against the state and IDJJ.
If you have a potential sex abuse lawsuit against IYC St. Charles, our Illinois sex abuse lawyers, today at 800-553-8082 or get a free online consultation. Our attorneys will fight to get you the overdue compensation that you deserve.
About Illinois Youth Center St. Charles
IYC St. Charles is a juvenile detention facility operated by IDJJ in St. Charles, Illinois, about 40 miles west of Chicago in Kane County. IYC St. Charles is one of the largest and one of the oldest state-run juvenile detention center facilities in Illinois. IYC is a medium security facility with the capacity to hold up to 300 male juvenile inmates. Parts of the facility are over 100 years old. There is no question that horrible things have happened here over the last 100 years.
IYC St. Charles is also the location of the new Phoenix Emerging Adults Career & Education Center (PEACE), a program aimed providing juveniles with vocational training, life skills and other educational opportunities. PEACE provides juvenile inmates between the ages of 17-20 with career and technical training as well as post-secondary education.
Like most other Youth Center detention facilities in Illinois, IYC St. Charles has been the site of widespread and unchecked abuse of juvenile inmates. This abuse has included sexual abuse of juvenile inmates by guards and staff members at the facility.
Convictions of Employees
A Kane County jury convicted former guard Michael M. Klimek from the Illinois Youth Center-St. Charles of six counts of official misconduct and one count of aggravated battery in a public place.
The prosecution accused Klimek of abusing his position by encouraging juveniles to attack other detainees and facilitating these assaults in January 2016. The case came to light after a victim reported an assault to a therapist, prompting an investigation.
In 2021 a female staff member at IYC St. Charles was charged and convicted of criminal sexual misconduct with a juvenile inmate.
Of course, this is all just the tip of the iceberg.
Sex Abuse Lawsuits Filed by IYC St. Charles Inmates
A group of former juvenile inmates from IYC St. Charles, and other juvenile detention centers in Illinois, recently filed a civil lawsuit, alleging they were subjected to sexual abuse during their incarceration. The lawsuit claims that various staff members at these institutions committed sexual abuse and assault against the plaintiffs while they were detained.
This lawsuit highlights a longstanding issue of abuse at IYC Joliet and other Illinois juvenile correctional facilities. The Department of Justice ranked Illinois among the worst states in the U.S. for incidents of inmate abuse in juvenile correctional facilities. The DOJ report prompted state legislative hearings and investigations, revealing a high rate of reported abuse, primarily committed by staff members.
What Qualifies as Sexual Abuse?
The legal definition of sexual abuse is any sexual touching (touching done for the purpose of gratification) done without consent. In sexual abuse cases involving juvenile inmates, the “lack of consent” element of this definition is not an issue. Under Illinois law, minors under the age of 18 lack the mental capacity to consent to sexual contact with an adult. So any sexual contact between an adult and a juvenile inmate would qualify as “sexual abuse” even if the juvenile allegedly “consented.”
Timeline of IYC St. Charles Facility and Sex Abuse Lawsuits
1902-1904
Establishment and Early Years
1902: The Illinois State Home for Delinquent Boys was established by John “Bet-a-Million” Gates, Samuel Allerton, and Henry Weaver. (Source: St. Charles History Museum)
1904: The facility opened its doors, aiming to rehabilitate young boys through schooling, hard work, and discipline in a home-like setting. (Source: St. Charles History Museum)
1930s
Early Concerns
State hearings raised issues regarding racial disparities, institutional abuse, and safety within the facility.
1973
Notable Staff Appointment
Salvador A. Godinez began his career as a counselor at IYC St. Charles. He would later become warden of the maximum-security Stateville Correctional Center in 1991. (Source: Office of Justice Programs)
1989
Facility Expansion
A new medical and confinement wing was added to address behavioral issues and provide medical care. (Source: AsylumProjects.org)
2004
Proposed Closure
Governor Rod Blagojevich proposed closing IYC St. Charles to save nearly $12 million. At the time, the center was the eighth-largest employer in St. Charles, with 327 employees. The closure did not proceed. (Source: AsylumProjects.org)
2009
Investigation and Report
Prompted by a suicide at the facility, the John Howard Association of Illinois conducted an investigation, revealing “appalling” conditions, including closed buildings due to high mold and mildew levels. (Source: AsylumProjects.org)
2016
Staff Misconduct
January: Former guard Michael M. Klimek was found guilty of official misconduct and aggravated battery for encouraging juveniles to attack each other.
2020-2021
Sexual Misconduct Allegations
October 2020: Staff member Antoinette Perkins engaged in sexual misconduct with a youth at the facility.
June 2021: Perkins accepted a felony official misconduct charge for her actions.
2021: A female staff member was charged and convicted of criminal sexual misconduct involving a youth at the center.
2024-2025
Legal Actions and Rebranding
May 2024: A lawsuit was filed alleging systemic sexual abuse at Illinois youth detention centers, including IYC St. Charles.
September 2024: Over 200 individuals sued the state of Illinois, claiming sexual abuse as children in juvenile detention centers between 1996 and 2021.
2024: IYC St. Charles was rebranded as the Phoenix Emerging Adult Career & Education (PEACE) Center, focusing on education and vocational programs for youth who have graduated high school. Whether this rebranding to Phoenix makes a difference remains be seen.
2025: Our lawyers continue to receive call from sexual abuse victims who are just learning about this litigaiton.
The Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) had full legal responsibility for all activities at IYC St. Charles and other secure juvenile detention centers in Illinois. This included screening, hiring, and training staff members, as well as ensuring proper supervision of both staff and the inmate population. These measures are crucial to protect vulnerable youth inmates from abuse.
Legally (and morally), DJJ had a duty to protect juvenile inmates at its facilities from sexual abuse. Therefore, DJJ can be held liable in a civil lawsuit if its negligence enabled specific acts of abuse to occur. The plaintiff only needs to demonstrate a link between DJJ’s negligent conduct and the sexual abuse.
Recent investigations and civil lawsuits have revealed substantial evidence of DJJ’s negligence in protecting juvenile inmates from sexual abuse. Specifically, it has been shown that DJJ habitually ignored complaints from inmates and their families about staff abuse. The general policy at DJJ was to ignore or downplay accusations of abuse against staff members and protect their own, creating a culture where sexual predators on staff at IYC St. Charles had free rein to victimize inmates.
Successful litigation or settlements can serve more than one purpose. First, the goal is settlement compensation for the victims. That is job one. But a byproduct can be significant changes in how these facilities are run, including improved training for staff, better oversight mechanisms, and stricter enforcement of regulations governing the treatment of detained juveniles. These outcomes not only provide relief to the victims but also contribute to the broader goal of reforming juvenile justice systems to safeguard against future physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.
Deadline for Illinois Sex Abuse Lawsuits
Illinois amended its statute of limitations, permitting survivors of childhood sexual abuse to file lawsuits at any time for incidents that occurred on or after August 20, 2019. Still, the law falls short for earlier cases. Survivors of abuse that happened before this date are limited to 20 years from their 18th birthday—or from the moment they discovered the connection between the abuse and their injuries—to file a civil claim. On the criminal side, Illinois imposes no statute of limitations for prosecuting felony sexual abuse involving minors. Efforts are underway in Illinois to push for new laws that would entirely remove the statute of limitations for civil sexual abuse claims, though success is not guaranteed.
Illinois Youth Center St. Charles Sex Abuse Lawsuits – FAQs
What is IYC St. Charles, and why is it facing lawsuits?
IYC St. Charles is a juvenile detention center in Kane County, Illinois. It has a long, awful history of sexual abuse, misconduct, and mistreatment of juvenile inmates. Former detainees have come forward with horrifying accounts of abuse at the hands of staff members, guards, and even fellow detainees, often with the knowledge—and in some cases, the encouragement—of IYC officials.
Now, survivors of sexual abuse are filing lawsuits against IYC St. Charles, IDJJ (Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice), and the state of Illinois for failing to protect them. These lawsuits aim to hold IDJJ accountable and seek compensation for the trauma endured.
Who can file a lawsuit against IYC St. Charles?
If you or a loved one were sexually abused or physically mistreated while detained at IYC St. Charles, IYC Joliet, or any other Illinois juvenile detention center, you may have the right to file a civil lawsuit. This includes individuals who were abused by:
– Guards, staff members, or administrators
– Other inmates, with staff knowledge or encouragement
– Officials who failed to investigate abuse complaints
Even if your abuse happened years ago, Illinois law may still allow you to seek justice and financial compensation.
What are some examples of abuse at IYC St. Charles?
There is a well-documented history of abuse at IYC St. Charles. Some reported cases include:
Guard Encouraging Attacks: In 2016, former guard Michael M. Klimek was convicted of official misconduct after encouraging juvenile inmates to attack other detainees.
Sexual Assault by Staff Members: In 2021, a female staff member was convicted of criminal sexual misconduct with a juvenile detainee.
Illinois Juvenile Detention Center Lawsuits: A 2024 lawsuit revealed that over 200 victims have come forward to sue the state of Illinois for sexual abuse in facilities like IYC St. Charles.
These cases are only the tip of the iceberg—many more victims have yet to come forward.
Can I still file a lawsuit if my abuse happened years ago?
Illinois law allows survivors of childhood sexual abuse to file a lawsuit at any time if the abuse occurred on or after August 20, 2019.
For older cases:
- If your abuse happened before 2019, you generally have 20 years from your 18th birthday (or from when you connected your trauma to the abuse) to file.
- Efforts are underway to expand these laws, so contact our lawyers even if you think your case is too old.
How do I start a lawsuit against IYC St. Charles?
Contact a plaintiffs’ sex abuse lawyer with experience in juvenile detention center lawsuits. At our firm, we:
✅ Offer free, confidential consultations
✅ Fight aggressively to hold IDJJ accountable
✅ Work on a contingency fee basis—meaning you don’t pay unless we win
If you or a loved one were abused at IYC St. Charles, IYC Joliet, or another Illinois juvenile detention facility, don’t wait. Call us today at 800-553-8082 or get a free online consultation.
Justice delayed is justice denied. The time to fight back is now.
Contact Us About IYC St. Charles Sex Abuse Lawsuits
If you are thinking about bringing a sexual abuse lawsuit against a juvenile detention facility like the Illinois Youth Center St Charles, contact our sex abuse lawyers today for free consultation. Contact us online or call 800-553-8082.