Alley Bardfield: Former Illinois Substitute Teacher Pleads Guilty to Having Sex With Student During a Sleepover
A former Decatur substitute teacher, Alley Bardfield, has pleaded guilty to predatory criminal sexual assault of an 11-year-old student.
Bardfield, 32, entered the plea during a disposition hearing on Thursday, August 7, 2025.
It all began in April, 2024, when the mother of the 11-year-old boy contacted the Mt. Zion Police Department.
She reported that her son was acting very strange after he returned from a 25-hour overnight stay at the home of his substitute teacher, Alley Bardfield, from March 29 to March 30, 2024.
Because of her son’s strange behavior, the mother decided to dig deeper, so she went through his phone.
To her surprise, she discovered that Alley Bardfield had sent her son $700 through CashApp over the past few months.
She also found disturbing messages on social media platforms, including Snapchat, which included a photo of her son and Bardfield together.
The mother confronted her son about these discoveries and during their conversation, the boy told her that he had unprotected sex with Bardfield during his sleepover at her residence.
Based on this report, the Mt. Zion Police Department, in conjunction with the Macon County Sheriff’s Office, initiated a formal police investigation.
On Wednesday, April 3, 2024, the victim was formally interviewed by forensic investigators, as reported by WCIA News.
The boy told investigators that he was sexually assaulted by his teacher on March 29.
He also said that Bardfield had offered to send him her nude photographs on Snapchat.
The investigation revealed that Bardfield, who was the boy's long-term substitute teacher at Hope Academy, had been communicating with him for months.
Later that same day, detectives arranged for the boy to talk with Bardfield while they listened to their conversations.
During a FaceTime call, Bardfield was heard saying that she could not get pregnant because she was taking birth control pills.
Bardfield also agreed to see the boy again and provided instructions on how they could continue communicating on social media.
Before ending the conversation, Bardfield stated that she missed the boy “a whole lot.”
Text messages later showed that Bardfield advised the boy to delete their conversation.
Armed with this corroborating evidence, officers obtained a search warrant and arrested Alley Bardfield at her home later on April 3, 2024.
During police questioning, she admitted to having sexual relations with the child and exchanging nude photos.
However, she shockingly blamed the child, claiming that the 11-year-old boy was the one who made sexual advances toward her.
After she was arrested, Decatur Public Schools fired Bardfield immediately, as per WCIA News.
She was initially charged with predatory criminal sexual assault and grooming, but the grooming charge was later dropped by prosecutors.
On August 7, 2025, Bardfield appeared in court and pleaded guilty to one count of predatory criminal sexual assault as part of a partial deal with prosecutors.
Her formal sentencing is scheduled for September 25, 2025 and she now faces potential decades in prison.
While the criminal case against Bardfield nears its conclusion, the story is not over for the victim’s family.
They have hired a top-rated Chicago-based law firm named Cunningham Lopez LLP to represent them in an upcoming lawsuit.
The firm has announced its intention to file a civil lawsuit against both Alley Bardfield and Decatur Public Schools.
In a powerful statement, the attorneys accused the school district of a profound failure, stating it “failed to ensure the safety and well-being of its students.”
They allege the district did not properly train or supervise its staff, leading to the exploitation of their client.
“The perpetrator’s predatory actions have left our client with permanent injuries that have greatly disrupted his and his family’s daily life,” the firm stated, as per WCIA.
“We are determined to hold both the perpetrator and the school fully accountable under the law.”
For updates on this true crime case and other high-profile cases, sign up for our free newsletter here.
Comments
Post a Comment