The Illinois Appellate Court has upheld the conviction of former Crystal Lake school principal and teacher Virgil Laughlin for having sexual contact with students.
Laughlin, 67, was convicted last Jan. 2 on two counts of taking indecent liberties with a child and one count of official misconduct for having sexual contact with students between 1977 and 1979 while he was a language arts teacher at North Middle School.
Laughlin formerly had been the principal of Lundahl Middle School but asked in 1976 to return to teaching.
In 1979, a parent brought a complaint against Laughlin to the school board, and the board decided to honor the parent’s request to forgo prosecution in exchange for Laughlin’s promise to leave the system.
Laughlin moved to Omaha, Neb., and lived there until his arrest Dec. 9, 1996. In 1995, Crystal Lake police learned of the allegations, and brought charges.
Laughlin was convicted last Jan. 2. and sentenced to 54 months in prison by McHenry County Judge Ward Arnold. He now is incarcerated in the minimum-security Taylorville Correctional Center, in Downstate Taylorville.
With credit for time served prior to trial, since May 28, 1996, plus a day off for every day of good behavior, plus three more months off for good behavior, Laughlin is scheduled to be released on May 28 next year.
Laughlin argued on appeal that the statute of limitations had run out in 1982. Illinois law provides for no limitations as long as the defendant resides out of state.