Ex-Associate Pastor Sentenced to 10 Years for Sexual Assault of Teenage Girl

Written by Morgan Searles

An ex-associate pastor of the West Suburban Community Church in Elmhurst was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to criminal sexual assault.

Prosecutors say Darin Evans, age 43, sexually assaulted a teenage girl over four to five years while he was her youth minister and counselor.

The sexual assaults started when the girl was 16, and they took place in multiple locations, including Evans’ car, public places and on a church-sponsored youth retreat, according to the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office.

The young woman, no longer a minor, came forward in Feb. 2013 about the assaults. Evans was charged with criminal sexual assault in March 2013, after he turned himself in to Elmhurst police.

Evans was out of custody after posting bond. He was taken back into custody Thursday, following his sentencing. Evans must serve 85 percent of his 10-year sentence before he is eligible for parole.

“For five years, Mr. Evans used his position as a trusted authority figure to sexually assault a young innocent girl,” said DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin in a statement. “He manipulated his victim in a most vile manner and for that he will spend the next ten years of his life behind bars, unable to prey upon unsuspecting young girls. I would like to thank the Elmhurst Police Department, for their outstanding work on this very disturbing case.