Sex abuse victim’s mother tells ex-Woodstock man she hopes he will ‘ask God for forgiveness’

A woman whose child was sexually abuse by a former Woodstock man delivered a message to him in court Thursday, saying: “I do hope one day you find it in your heart to ask God for forgiveness.”

In April, Derrick Lindsey, 35, of Elgin pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a child younger than 18, a Class 2 felony, accordsing to records in the McHenry County court.

Lindsey was sentenced to two years of sex offender probation and 180 days in county jail, which had already been served, and was ordered to register as a sex offender for life, records show.

He appeared in court Thursday for the victim impact statement and to show proof he’d obtained a substance abuse evaluation, which he had been ordered to do within 45 days of his release from the jail, records show.

He also was ordered, and had completed, a sexual offender evaluation, Assistant McHenry. County State’s Attorney Maria Marek said.

The mother, who appeared in court via Zoom, also read a statement from her daughter that said in part: “I was robbed of my childhood. ... I no longer trust anyone around me. ... I pray you talk to God and ask him to help you.”

Lindsey was accused of exploiting and abusing the child, whom he knew, multiple times over a five-year timespan, according to testimony from an initial hearing following his arrest in July. A charge of exploitation of a child was dismissed, records show.

When Lindsey was arrested, there had been a warrant out for his arrest for 10 months and he’d fled the area, Assistant State’s Attorney Julio Cantre said during a hearing at the time. Lindsey did not even tell his mother where he was, Cantre said in arguing Lindsey be detained pretrial, which he was.

The girl had told interviewers at the Children’s Advocacy Center that he also abused her at homes in Cook and Kane counties, and had her watch pornography, Cantre said. She was 15 at the time of she reported the abuse, about 10 years after it occurred, Lindsey’s attorney said during a hearing in the case.