A long-time Chicago school teacher was sentenced Friday to ten years in prison after he pleaded guilty in three cases that accused him of sexually assaulting two underage girls, including one of his students.
Eugene Westmoreland, 62, pleaded guilty to criminal sexual abuse of a victim under 13, predatory criminal sexual assault, and aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a victim under 18 by a person in a position of trust, according to court clerk computer records.
Judge Steven Watkins sentenced him to 7 years and 3 years for the latter charges, respectively. Those will be served consecutively. The records show that Watkins handed down 3½ years for the first charge, which will be served concurrently with the other two.
In one case, Westmoreland was accused of sexually assaulting a female student at Austin Community High School, 231 North Pine, in 2003 while he was the school’s band teacher. The victim is now 35.
The other victim, a relative of Westmoreland’s, accused him of sexually assaulting and abusing her between May 2007 and May 2014, when she was between nine and 14 years old.
At the time of his arrest, Westmoreland listed his job as a teacher at Christ the King Jesuit College Prep in the Austin neighborhood. An online roster for the school’s 2018-2019 year listed him as the band and music director. There were no allegations that he engaged in wrongdoing at Christ the King.
