Pastor Indicted In Teen Sex Abuse Case

By Steve Sadin
Daily North Shore
November 09, 2015

http://dailynorthshore.com/2015/11/09/deerfield-pastor-from-north-suburban-evangelical-free-church-indicted-in-teen-sexual-abuse-case/

Samuel Kee. Photo courtesy of the Deerfield Police Department.

DEERFIELD — A former Deerfield pastor was indicted on four counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse by the Lake County Grand Jury Nov. 4 after police said he confessed to fondling a teenager from the church.

Samuel Kee, 39, of Lake Zurich and the former pastor of teaching and discipleship at the North Suburban Free Evangelical Church in Deerfield, walked into the Deerfield Police Department Oct. 14 and said he wanted to confess to a crime, according to Bernas.

Bernas said Kee told detectives he committed a crime of a sexual nature in the summer of 2014 with a girl who was 16 at the time. Bernas said Kee confessed to touching the teen on inappropriate places on her body including her genitals.

“We talked to the juvenile victim to confirm the facts and the next day (Oct. 15) he was charged,” Bernas said. “We got a call (from the church) there was an internal investigation on Oct. 2.”

Kee resigned his position as pastor Oct. 25, Derek Sammann, the chair of the elder board at the church, told Daily North Shore in an email.

“We cannot provide any further comment on the allegations that have been brought against him at this time” Sammann wrote in the email. “Church officials are fully cooperating with the Deerfield police on their investigation.”

Walking into the police station and admitting to a crime as Kee did is very unusual, according to Bernas. Bernas said it is something he has seen less than five times in his 13 years with the department.

“This is not the way it usually happens,” Bernas said. “We started with the confession and kind of worked backwards.”

Deerfield police transported Kee to the Lake County Jail Oct. 15 for a bond hearing the following day, according to Bernas. Bond was set at $300,000, according to court records. Kee posted bond Oct. 23.

Kee will be arraigned Nov. 18 in Lake County Criminal Court in Waukegan. At that time he will have the opportunity to plead guilty or not guilty.

All four counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse are Class 2 felonies, according to Cindy Vargas, the communications manager for Lake County State’s Attorney Mike Nerheim. If convicted, Kee faces between 12 and 28 years in prison.