Attorney General Kwame Raoul has announced a 74-year-old former bus driver for South Central Mass Transit District has been sentenced to four years in prison for sexually assaulting a Perry County man who an intellectual disability.
Larry Vancil of Du Quoin was sentenced by Perry County Circuit Court Judge James Campanella after pleading guilty to a Class 2 felony charge of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. He was terminated in 2017 after South Central Transit received the complaint and completed an initial investigation. Actual charges were not filed until January 2021 and Vancil posted $7,500 bond on the same day.
Raoul said instead of ensuring a safe environment for some of our most vulnerable residents, Vancil instead chose to violate the rights of an individual that did not have the capacity to speak up and protect themselves. Raoul says he is committed to holding individuals accountable for taking advantage of people they are responsible for protecting.
In his role as a bus driver, Raoul said Vancil was responsible for transporting individuals who reside or receive assistance from Five Star Industries, a non-profit that provides housing and employment assistance for individuals with developmental disabilities. While on the job, Vancil sexually abused a passenger, knowing the victim was unable to give consent due to a severe or profound disability.
The Inspector General of the Illinois Department of Human Services Peter Neumer says criminally prosecuting abusers of individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities sends an important message that those who engage in such conduct will suffer serious consequences. The measure was first investigated by the Illinois Department of Human Services’ Office of Inspector General before it was turned over to the Attorney General’s office.
The Managing Director of South Central Transit Sara Nollman-Hodge says SCT does an extensive background check on all employees, including an Illinois State Police background check which is a nationwide background search, Office of Inspector General check and sex offender registry check. Drivers must have a clear driving record and provide a copy to SCT. They are also required to complete a pre-employment drug test as well as random tests.
In addition, drivers complete RULE 50 training during their training period and then annually which defines and requires the reporting of any physical, sexual, or mental abuse as well as financial exploitation.
Assistant Attorneys General William Bryant, Vanessa Minson and Myra Yelle-Clark prosecuted the case for Raoul’s Sexually Violent Persons Bureau.
(This story has been updated with employment screening and testing requirements for South Central Transit employees)
