Former Police Sergeant convicted

Former Police Sergeant convicted

Jeff Pelo, 43, a former Bloomington Police Sergeant was convicted on Wednesday of raping 4 women and stalking a fifth.


Pelo was found guilty on all 35 counts, including 25 of aggravated sexual assault. Two charges were dropped during the trial.




Pelo has been jailed since June 2006. He was unable to post his 1 million dollar bond.

Prosecutor Messman said despite the lack of DNA evidence or forensic evidence the jury reached its decision. There was no smoking gun, but there were several strong pieces of evidence. Part of that evidence, three of the four women picked him out of a photo lineup.

Defense attorney Michael Rosenblat said he likely would appeal. He plans to argue that the judge shouldn't have let jurors see pornography found on Pelo's home computer, and should have let the defense call an expert witness to testify about the reliability of eyewitness identifications.

"I believed before opening statements and I believe today that Jeff is not guilty," Rosenblat said.

Messman portrayed Pelo as a man driven on the one hand by violent fantasies, and on the other by a desire to be his victims' boyfriend. At least one of the women described her attacker as gentle and polite.

Investigators found numerous images of violent pornography some depicting forced sex at gunpoint on Pelo's home computer.

The defense attorney said whatever taste Pelo might have for pornography was irrelevant.

The defense attorney seized on discrepancies offered by the victims, particularly one woman's description of an attacker as young as his early 20s.

"The descriptions of these attacks vary widely," the attorney told jurors. "They differ because different people committed these attacks."

Here is a time line of events leading up to his conviction
06/13/06: Wife, attorney say Sergeant Pelo suspect in rapes
07/14/06: Pelo charged with sex assaults
08/10/06: Grand jury indicts Pelo on rape charges
02/05/07: Pelo lawyer Skelton quits, cites health
02/20/07: Accused cop Pelo gets new attorneys
05/03/07: Financial concerns cloud Pelo representation
11/01/07: Pelo resigns position with Bloomington police
11/19/07: Judge allows state to combine Pelo rape, stalking cases
03/10/08: Pelo trial to begin April 7 in McLean County
03/19/08: DNA testing of hair delays Pelo rape trial until May
04/24/08: Eyewitness-ID expert won't get to testify at trial
05/04/08: Trial long overdue for victims, and for Pelo's family
05/04/08: Anticipation builds as long-delayed trial finally nears
05/15/08: Jury selection completed; final motions on Monday
05/17/08: Pelo has offered to help convicted killer obtain a new trial
05/19/08: Judge in Pelo case says porn can be shown at trial
05/20/08: Prosecution says Pelo lived a double life
05/21/08: Testimony IDs Pelo as intruder during break-in attempts
05/22/08: Decision to name rape victim departure from usual
05/22/08: Victim at Pelo trial describes death threats, pregnancy
05/27/08: Three of four alleged Pelo rape victims testify
05/28/08: Co-workers of Pelo testify at trial
05/29/08: Jury sees guns, equipment seized from Pelo home
06/02/08: Testimony: Pelo may have used police-issued gloves in rapes
06/03/08: Reports: Pelo may have started his '02 break with rape
06/04/08: Jurors shown porn allegedly taken from Pelo's computers
06/05/08: Circumcision at issue after Pelo's wife testifies
06/09/08: Jury hears voice samples provided to four rape victims
06/10/08: Urologist confirms wife's testimony: Pelo not circumcised
06/16/08: Closing arguments send Pelo case to the jury
06/18/08 the charges former police officer Jeffrey Pelo was convicted on

• 25 counts, aggravated criminal sexual assault
• 3 counts, home invasion
• 2 counts, residential burglary
• 2 counts, aggravated unlawful restraint
• 1 count, intimidation
• 1 count, attempted residential burglary
• 1 count, stalking

Aug. 12 — Pelo will be sentenced where he faces a minimum of life in prison.


His wife about half way through the judge reading the verdict, started screaming and creating a scene.

Court security came in and escorted Rickielee out of the courtroom. Afterwards she did apologize for the outburst, but she claims she knows her husband is innocent and plans to fight the convictions.