A 61-year-old Robbins man with a history of sexual violence will remain in the custody of the Illinois Department of Human Services, Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced Friday.
A Cook County jury on Tuesday ruled registered sex offender Johnny Westbrook to be a “sexually violent person” after a two-day trial, according to the Attorney General’s Office.
Under Illinois’ Sexually Violent Persons Act, someone can be committed for ongoing treatment if they are convicted of a sexually violent offense and determined to suffer from a mental illness, a statement from the Attorney General’s Office said. Prosecutors also have to prove the person is likely to commit more sexual violence if released from a prison sentence.
People committed under the act must be regularly re-evaluated to determine if they continue to meet the requirements of a sexually violent person, according to the statement. More than 400 convicted sex offenders have been committed since the act was signed into law by former Gov. Jim Edgar in 1997.
After the jury verdict, Cook County Judge Steven Watkins ruled that Westbrook will remain with the DHS for treatment, the Attorney General’s Office said. Westbrook will return to the department’s treatment and detention facility in Rushville.
Westbrook was convicted in 1985 for aggravated criminal sexual assault and was sentenced to 60 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, according to the statement His past convictions include attempted rape, rape, aggravated kidnapping and other acts of violence.
Nick Swedberg is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.