The man who sexually attacked a woman in an elevator at the Rookery Building four years ago will not serve any time in prison under an agreement with prosecutors.
Around 2 p.m. on May 5, 2018, Robert Skipper followed a 28-year-old woman onto an elevator in the historic building at 209 South LaSalle and then assaulted her. After putting his hand under her blouse, Skipper restrained the woman, forced her to the floor of the elevator and said, “Give me that *,” prosecutors said.
After escaping from the elevator, the woman called 911 and described the offender. Police said two other women had reported being battered or sexually abused by a man with a similar description earlier in the day—one near Pritzker Park and the other in an unspecified Loop location.
Cops who stopped Skipper near State and Washington shortly after the attack asked other officers to bring the victim to their location to see if they had the right guy.
When the woman arrived, Skipper made eye contact and “excitedly” announced, “That’s her! That’s her! That’s the one I got! I stalk my prey,” police said in an arrest report. Officers said Skipper’s statement was captured on their body cameras.
He also allegedly admitted to “groping all the girls.”
Prosecutors charged Skipper with felony attempted criminal sexual assault by force; felony criminal sexual abuse by force; and felony unlawful restraint. But prosecutors dropped the criminal sexual assault charge and agreed to let Skipper plead guilty to a lesser crime of criminal sexual abuse by force for a three-year sentence.
The prison term was reduced by 50% under state law. Officials then applied credit for 1,377 days Skipper spent in custody before accepting the plea deal. State records show he arrived at Stateville Correctional Center on Valentine’s Day. They paroled him the same day, according to the records.
Judge Joanne Rosado oversaw the case and sentenced Skipper. She also ordered him to register as a sex offender.
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