Suburban Chicago wife rapist bound over for civil commitment trial

An Illinois man who was scheduled to be released July 3 will be held for a civil commitment trial as a sexual predator for the rape of his then wife. DuPage Circuit Judge Kenneth Popejoy determined that enough evidence suggesting that Jeremy Schloss, 27, may be a sex predator exists to continue to hold his past the end of his sentence.

Schloss pleaded guilty to aggravated criminal sexual abuse for a Feb. 2, 2005, arrest in which his then-wife accused him of trying to rape her in their Wheaton apartment after she had rejected his sexual advances.

Initially, Schloss was placed on 36 months' probation in which he was required to undergo sex offender and alcohol treatment. On Nov. 1, 2005, he was resentenced to seven years in prison after he violated terms of his probation by repeatedly calling the woman, with whom he was ordered not to have any contact.

At the sentencing hearing, his former wife told the judge Schloss was an abusive alcoholic.
"Even with moving to a new place, I do not feel safe in my house," she said. "I am afraid that he will find me, hurt me and take (our son). Every little sound I hear scares me."

Two years earlier, in 2003, police arrested Schloss on criminal sexual abuse charges in Streamwood on suspicion he inappropriately touched a teenage girl. Schloss pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of battery and was sentenced to 30 days in jail.

Joelle Marasco, an assistant Illinois attorney general, stated that a psychologist hired by the state stated that Schloss needs to stay locked up and get sex offender treatment in Rushville until he’s safe to release into the community.

But defense attorney Neil J. Levine challenged the expert's findings, which he argued where based on inaccurate data. For example, Levine said the expert found Schloss had two sex offenses in his history but the first one was reduced to a battery charge.

"He's not dangerous to society," Levine said. "It's arbitrary and capricious to classify (the first offense) as sexual."

Illinois’ civil commitment law has led to the commitment of 215 sexual offenders beyond their sentence expiration for further treatment. It was passed 10 years ago, and has been challenged, but never overturned. 18 other states have similar laws. Schloss is due back in court later this year.