Crystal Lake man, former church deacon sentenced to 5 years for sexually abusing girl

A former church deacon and volunteer children’s choir guitarist was sentenced to five years in prison Thursday for sexually abusing a girl over the course of several years.

After a trial in September, jurors found 54-year-old David Tapley guilty of three counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a child. The charges were tied to accusations that surfaced in 2015 when the victim, a juvenile relative of Tapley’s, disclosed the abuse on an online forum, Crystal Lake police testified at trial.

22nd Judicial Circuit Chief Judge James Cowlin sentenced Tapley, of the 400 block of Diamando Street, Crystal Lake, to five years in prison, followed by two years of parole and sex offender probation. Tapley must serve at least
50 percent of the prison term.

Rockford psychologist Robert Meyer evaluated Tapley before Thursday’s sentencing and found that although Tapley poses a low risk of reoffending, he is not likely to respond to treatment, attorneys said.

In addition to registering for life as a sex offender, Tapley must pay $15,022 in restitution to the victim’s family and an additional $27,000 to the Victim Compensation Fund – a state program that previously reimbursed the victim’s family for out-of-pocket medical costs related to her treatment. He also must help pay for her counseling as long as she attends.

Diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, the girl requires a trained service dog to help her navigate through dissociative episodes, her father said. Attorneys debated for months whether to allow the dog at trial, and Cowlin ultimately ruled the animal could be present while the girl testified.

Tension was high in the courtroom between the families throughout the trial. Tapley’s wife, Theresa Tapley, temporarily was removed from the courtroom during a sentencing hearing last month after a court security officer saw her raise her middle finger in the direction of the victim’s mother.

The girl’s mother said she encourages parents to go with their instincts if they feel uneasy about a situation.

“We cannot undo what’s already even done, but maybe I can help another family so they don’t have to go through it,” she said.

It was Tapley’s role as a cherished family member and his activity with the children’s choir at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Cary that allowed him to continue sexually abusing the girl for several years, Cowlin said.

Tapley occasionally played the guitar for the church’s children’s choir, and his wife works as a teacher at the school, the church confirmed. One instance of abuse was alleged to have happened in 2010 in the church parking lot after choir rehearsal, court records show.

“[Tapley’s] involvement with the children’s choir as a guitarist was a limited volunteer position wherein he was only called upon as a substitute when that specific choir was in need,” the Rev. Jeremy Trowbridge said in an email Thursday. “This being said, he neither held a leadership position nor did he serve in a consistent manner.”

Once the church learned about the charges, Tapley was barred from the property and any involvement with the parish, Trowbridge said.

Tapley also had been a deacon at Fox Valley Christian Reformed Church in Crystal Lake for about a year when the sexual abuse charges were filed against him in 2015, Pastor Dan Gregory said. Tapley’s responsibilities in the church included playing the guitar and serving as a member of the church board.

“We were transparent from the start,” Gregory said. “As soon as Dave told us about it, he stepped back from all his leadership, and we sent a letter to the congregation letting everyone know, and we were as upfront as we could be.”

Gregory did not receive additional reports of abuse after sending a letter to families, and Tapley was permitted to continue attending church services as a parishioner only, Gregory said.

The girl also told police that on one occasion, Tapley bound and sexually abused her in his office at Roosevelt University’s Schaumburg campus, where he worked at the time, Crystal Lake Police Sgt. Kevin Doherty testified. Tapley has not been charged in connection with the allegation.