ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL: CONVICTED SEX OFFENDER RULED SEXUALLY VIOLENT

Chicago  — Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced that a Fayette County jury has found that a registered sex offender is a Sexually Violent Person (SVP).

Following the verdict, Fayette County Circuit Court Judge Kevin Parker ordered Michael Boaz, 51, to remain in the custody of the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) for treatment. Boaz will be returned to the IDHS SVP Treatment and Detention Facility in Rushville, Illinois.

"The offender has a long history of violent behavior that includes sexually abusing children," Raoul said. "This individual's release would jeopardize the safety of children in the community, and I am pleased with the jury's decision, which will prevent him from having access to children."

Previously in 2004, Boaz was sentenced to two years in prison for sexually abusing his stepdaughters who were under the age of 12. Less than two years after being released, Boaz was convicted in 2006 and sentenced to seven years in prison for sexually abusing his then-girlfriend's 15-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son. Additionally, he was convicted of battery in 1992, domestic battery in 2000 and aggravated battery in 2004. He also was convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon in federal court and served 42 months in federal prison. He was on federal supervised release when he abused his stepchildren.

Under the Sexually Violent Persons Commitment Act, Raoul's office prosecutes cases seeking to commit offenders to the custody of IDHS. To be committed under the act, a person must have been convicted of a sexually violent offense and suffer from a mental disorder. Prosecutors must also prove that the offender is likely to commit future acts of sexual violence if released from custody. Once committed to IDHS, offenders are re-evaluated on a regular basis to determine if they continue to meet the criteria for commitment as a sexually violent person.

Assistant Attorneys General Jane Foster and Patrick O'Brien handled the case for Raoul's Sexually Violent Persons Bureau.