Jose Vilchis (Will County Sheriff)
A former Chicago-area gymnastics coach charged in October with sexually assaulting a teenage gymnast now faces additional charges after an indictment was issued Wednesday by a Will County grand jury.
Jose Vilchis, 68, of Channahon, is charged with 14 counts of criminal sexual assault and four counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse for incidents that occurred between Dec. 1, 2013, and March 1, 2014, at I&M Gymnastics in Channahon, according to the grand jury indictment. The alleged acts included digital and oral sex and involved a then-teenage girl who trained with Vilchis at the far southwest suburban gym, prosecutors said.
READ: Chicago-Area Gymnastics Coach Arrested on Sexual Assault Charges
The indictment comes about two weeks after Vilchis was arrested and charged with eight counts related to the alleged incidents at I&M – six counts of criminal sexual assault and two counts of criminal sexual abuse.
Document: Read the indictment against Jose Vilchis
Each of the 18 counts Vilchis now faces represents a separate alleged act, police said, adding that all of the counts are based on the account of one witness. Vilchis has been accused of sexual abuse by at least three other women, including one who reported him to police in northwest suburban Wheeling in 1997.
If convicted, Vilchis, a former Mexican Olympian, faces a mandatory sentence of 4 to 15 years in prison for each of the 14 criminal sexual assault charges, or a minimum of 56 years total, as the sentences must be served consecutively, authorities said. A conviction on the four charges of criminal sexual abuse would carry anywhere from probation to 3 to 7 years in prison, potentially for each count.
A Joliet attorney listed as Vilchis’ defense lawyer, Eric Blatti, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Vilchis is being held at Will County Jail without bond.
Contact Alex Ruppenthal: @arupp | [email protected] | (773) 509-5623
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Chicago-Area Gymnastics Coach Arrested on Sexual Assault Charges
‘That’s Not Where it Hurts’: Gymnast’s Former Coach Under Investigation for Sexual Abuse
Gymnastics Coach Accused of Sexual Abuse Remained in Chicago-Area Gyms for Decades
