crimes and misdemeanors

Prosecutors Reveal Former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert Sexually Abused at Least 4 Teenage Boys

Dennis Hastert
Photo: Zbigniew Bzdak/TNS

Former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert allegedly sexually abused at least four teenage boys, back when he was a wrestling coach at an Illinois high school, and before his political rise. Prosecutors came forward with the chilling allegations in court documents, submitting them to the judge who will sentence Hastert for a felony banking crime — illegally structured bank withdrawals — at the end of April, a charge Hastert pleaded guilty to last year. Hastert was using that money to pay off one of his molestation victims.

Hastert can’t face prosecution for sexual abuse because most of the incidents took place in the 1960s and 1970s, and the statute of limitations has passed. Still, prosecutors indicated that past acts — which involved “intentional touching of minors’ groin area and genitals or oral sex with a minor” —  should be considered when weighing the appropriate punishment. Prosecutors explained

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Prosecutors: Hastert Abused at Least 4 Teen Boys