Wheaton North HS Teacher Gets 10 Years in Prison, Pleads Guilty to Sex Assault of Student

Editor's note: This story was updated Wednesday evening with more details about Klemm's plea deal and his credit for time served.

A former teacher and speech team coach at Wheaton North High School was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in an Illinois prison for having inappropriate sexual contact with a former student, officials said.

Edwin Klemm, 43, of the 1100 block of Howard Street in St. Charles, pled guilty Wednesday morning to two counts of Class 1 felony criminal sexual assault in front of Judge George Bakalis, who handed down the sentence, the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office said in a news release.

Klemm began a relationship with a Wheaton North student in February 2011 when she was 16 years old, according to prosecutors. Klemm had sexual encounters with the student through November 2011, according to investigators at the DuPage County Children’s Center and the Wheaton Police Department. 

Klemm was initially charged in March with 11 counts of criminal sexual assault, but he struck a plea deal with prosecutors, the State's Attorney's Office said. As a result, nine of the counts against him were dismissed.

"Edwin Klemm abused his authority in a most revolting way," DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in the release. "He took advantage of a young girl just to satisfy his own sick desires. Today his devious ways have caught up to him as he accepts responsibility for the pain he has caused his young victim."

Klemm must also resign from his teaching job at Wheaton North, where he has worked for 13 years. After Klemm was arrested and charged on March 19, he was suspended without pay pending the outcome of the police investigation, District 200 officials said.

Klemm's assaults of the student took place at multiple locations including movie theaters, public locations, his vehicle, a classroom and on at least one occasion, at his house while his daughter was home. The incidents included oral sex, fondling and more, prosecutors said.

The assaults were discovered when the student's parents found a love letter Klemm wrote to her. The parents contacted the DuPage County Children’s Center, who opened an investigation into the matter. Klemm spoke to investigators on March 19 and admitted to the relationship, prosecutors said. The following day, his bond was set at $60,000. Unable to post bond, Klemm has remained in custody since.

"I would like to thank officials at Wheaton North High School for their complete cooperation throughout this entire ordeal," Berlin said. "I would like to thank the Wheaton Police Department for their outstanding work on this very disturbing case. I would also like to thank Investigators Boris Vrbos and Terry Haliw and Director Pat Dempsey of the DuPage County Children’s Center as well as Assistant State’s Attorney Mike Pawl for their work on this case and their continuing hard work in safeguarding our children from sexual predators such as Mr. Klemm."

A Class 1 Felony is punishable by four to fifteen years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. Klemm was sentenced to five years on each count. Sentencing guidelines dictate that imposed sentences on each count must run consecutively. 

Klemm will be required to serve 85 percent of his sentence before being eligible for parole. He earned 100 days credit for time served so far in the DuPage County Jail, according to the State's Attorney's Office. He will also be required to register as a sex offender for life.

Related Stories

• Accused Wheaton North Teacher Pleads Not Guilty in Sexual Assault of Student
• Prosecutors: Wheaton North Teacher Met Student At Home 10 to 12 Times
• Klemm Was 'Quite Open' About Relationship: Former Student to ABC7
• Dist. 200 Addresses Teacher Sex Assault Charges in Statement, Letter to Parents
• UPDATED: Wheaton North Teacher Charged With 11 Counts of Criminal Sexual Assault of Student

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