A judge in Will County has ruled that a 52-year-old registered sex offender is a sexually violent predator, a finding that puts him in state custody indefinitely, Attorney General Kwame Raoul's office said. The order places Timothy Piper, previously convicted of crimes against minors, in the Illinois Department of Human Services for treatment, according to a statement from the Attorney General's office.
In a trial awaited from the IDHS Treatment and Detention Facility, Piper has been detained. Will County Circuit Court Judge Kenneth Zelazo is the one who issued the ruling. According to the statement, Raoul expressed that Piper's record of repeat offenses establishes him "as a danger to this community," but "the judge’s decision prevents him from harming anyone else." He added, "I am committed to protecting Illinois families and communities from those who prey on innocent children."
Piper's disturbing history includes a 1995 plea of guilt to charges of public indecency against a minor in Will County involving a 13-year-old and a 10-year-old girl, resulting in a year of conditional discharge. Furthermore, he faced convictions for three counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse against an 11-year-old girl, which earned him a 30-year prison sentence.
The Sexually Violent Persons Commitment Act guided the proceedings against Piper, indicating persons as sexual predators who must be afflicted with a mental disorder and present a likely risk to commit future acts of sexual violence if released. Assistant Attorneys General James Orescanin and Jennifer Zyznar, working for Raoul’s Sexually Violent Persons Bureau, proved before the judge that Piper met these conditions. They will see to it that committed offenders like Piper are regularly checked to confirm they still meet the criteria for continued commitment.
