A Chicago man has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a disabled resident of the Marklund home in Geneva in 2023, according to the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office.
The victim was found to be pregnant last April and gave birth soon after, officials said.
Isaiah Fields, 24, a former employee of Marklund, faces six to 30 years in state prison when he is sentenced, according to a news release Tuesday from the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office. He is set to be sentenced on March 14 at the Kane County Judicial Center.
In a second case in Kane County from 2023 that was not at the Marklund home, Fields also pleaded guilty to criminal sexual abuse, according to the press release. Fields agreed to a sentence of one year in state prison for the crime, which will run concurrently with the sentence handed down in the other case, officials said.
“Mr. Fields preyed on vulnerable individuals who were unable to defend themselves, and his actions are unconscionable,” Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser said in the Tuesday news release. “With today’s guilty pleas, he is being held accountable for the profound harm he caused.”
Fields remains at the Kane County jail, according to the press release.
Marklund is a nonprofit organization that provides care to individuals with severe developmental disabilities or other special needs, according to its website. It has locations in Geneva, Bloomingdale and Elgin. It also has education programs for school-age individuals with disabilities. Only adults live and are cared for at the Geneva location.
The assault of the Marklund resident happened between Aug. 1, 2023, and Sept. 5, 2023, according to the news release. Fields, a former employee of Marklund, was let go in September 2023, a spokesperson for Marklund said.
The resident gave birth last April at Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital in Geneva, and afterwards her family chose to send her back to Marklund. She continues to live at Marklund, the spokesperson said.
Marklund’s spokesperson said the organization cannot share details about the health of the victim or the child per federal law.
The Kane County Sheriff’s Office conducted an investigation using DNA tests from current and previous male employees which linked Fields to the assault, according to the release from the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Marklund learned about the sexual abuse case only a week before the resident gave birth, according to previous reporting. The nonprofit announced last April that it would conduct an investigation into the sexual abuse case, during which time three male employees were placed on paid leave.
Marklund President and CEO Gil Fonger previously said that all employees at Marklund go through a background check when they are hired and again every year, and that each of its locations follows state law requiring at least two people to be in the home at all times.
And while the case is not yet settled, Marklund said they are hopeful the victim will receive justice.
“Even though the process did not reach a full conclusion yesterday, we are satisfied to see the case progressing and are confident that the Kane County state’s attorney will continue to advocate for justice,” the spokesperson for Marklund said Wednesday. “We hope to soon have a measure of closure to this evil act.”
mmorrow@chicagotribune.com
