A former pastor at a church in west suburban Elmhurst was sentenced to 10 years in prison Thursday after pleading guilty to having sexual contact with a teenage girl for almost five years.
Darin Evans, 43, pleaded guilty to one felony count of criminal sexual assault at a hearing before Judge Daniel Guerin, who handed down the sentence, according to the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office.
Prosecutors claimed Evans had sexual contact with the girl over a four- to five-year period, starting when she was 16.
At the time, he was the girl’s youth minister and counselor, and served as associate pastor at West Suburban Community Church in Elmhurst, authorities said.
The assaults happened at multiple locations, including Evans’ vehicle, public places and a church-sponsored youth retreat, prosecutors said.
He was arrested in February 2013 when the victim came forward, authorities said.
“For five years, Mr. Evans used his position as a trusted authority figure to sexually assault a young innocent girl,” State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in a statement. “He manipulated his victim in a most vile manner and for that he will spend the next ten years of his life behind bars, unable to prey upon unsuspecting young girls.”
Evans had been free after posting bail following his arrest, but was taken into custody Thursday. He must serve 85 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole, the state’s attorney’s office said.
