Mayor hires convicted sex offender who kidnapped and gang raped two children to be code enforcement officer

 

Posted by: Jenna Curren|October 24, 2021 |CategoriesFeatured, News

DOLTON, IL- According to reports, the Dolton mayor just hired a man who spent 24 years in prison for kidnapping two young teenage girls as a code enforcement officer.

Trustees in Dolton say they are stunned and appalled by the latest hire made by the mayor, which trustees say was done without their consent. FOX 32 reported that on September 20th, records show that Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard hired 46-year-old Lavelle Redmond as a code enforcement officer. 

As a code enforcement officer, Redmond would go into Dolton homes and businesses to inspect them and make sure they are up to code. However, Redmond is a registered sex offender and he is on the Illinois State Police child sex offender registry.

In 1991, he participated in a gang rape and beating in the Roseland area. He and three other people kidnapped and sexually assaulted two girls, ages 13 and 14. 

Now, trustees in Dolton are demanding that they mayor explain how and why she hired Redmond into a job that puts him in constant contact with the public. Dolton residents that spoke to FOX 32 stated they are stunned as well. One woman said:

“Crazy. I don’t know. He won’t get on my house though.”

Another resident said:

“I will be terrified to know now if he had come to my house to do a code inspection. I’ll be terrified.”

A third woman said:

“Oh my God. Don’t they supposed to do background checks before they allow these people in these kind of positions?”

Henyard, a single mom who grew up in Dolton, was elected mayor overwhelmingly in April with 82 percent of the vote. Henyard is the first female mayor of Dolton and the youngest. After being sworn in, she stated:

“Dolton residents, I am reporting for duty … I grew up with safe streets and I did not have any problems. It was a suburb. I want to bring that back to Dolton.”

A spokesperson for Mayor Henyard stated that they are taking this very seriously and are conducting an investigation into the hire and into Redmond’s background. The spokesperson could not state if Redmond was still on the payroll or not and said the office would not have any further comment until the investigation is complete.

Just a week prior to this incident, Dolton trustees aired concerns regarding Henyard because former Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown, who had been in charge of the nation’s largest court system, stepped down from her position and then was hired by Henyard last May.

Despite assurances that she was only hired for a transition period, some remain concerned that she will end up staying in her new position. Their protests came in October and Henyard said Brown would be gone by November. However, the trustees remain worried. Dolton Trustee Jason House said:

“We are five months into this administration, the position still has not been posted, no applications have been taken. I feel like I’ve been lied to about the transition of Dorothy Brown.”

Dolton Trustee Brittney Norwood said that when the trustees asked Brown whom Henyard had appointed as Village Administrator, a job that carries a $100,000 a year salary, Brown stated:

“This is the mayor. She makes the decisions. And you all need to follow her lead and do what’s asked of you and not ask any questions.”

When raising concerns about Brown’s appointment, Dolton Trustee Tammy Brown said:

“We believe that Dorothy Brown’s control over administrative affairs and her influence on the mayor has not been in the best interest of the village.”

https://www.lawenforcementtoday.com/mayor-of-dolton-hires-convicted-and-registered-sex-offender/

UPDATE

Child sex offender hired by Dolton mayor faces new charges

 

Featured |  

October 28, 2021

DOLTON, Ill. – A convicted child sex offender who was hired by the village of Dolton to inspect homes is now facing new charges.

Lavelle Redmond was hired by Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard to go door-to-door to meet with residents.

He is now accused of violating his sex offender registration and is being held on $10,000 bond.

Trustees in Dolton said they were stunned and appalled by the hire, which they say was done by the mayor without their consent.

On Sept. 20, village records show Mayor Henyard hired the 46-year-old Redmond as a code enforcement officer — a job in which he goes into Dolton homes and businesses to inspect them and make sure they are up to code.

The problem is, Redmond is a registered child sex offender. He is on the Illinois State Police child sex offender registry.

FOX 32 News has learned Redmond spent 24 years in prison in Illinois after pleading guilty to taking part in a brutal gang rape and beating in the Roseland neighborhood in 1991.

He and three other people kidnapped and sexually assaulted two girls, ages 13 and 14.

Now, trustees in Dolton are demanding the mayor explain how and why she hired Redmond into a job that puts him in constant contact with the public. Dolton residents that FOX 32 talked to are stunned as well.

“Oh my god. Don’t they supposed to do background checks before they allow these people to in these kind of positions?” one woman said.

A spokesperson for Mayor Henyard told FOX 32 last week they were taking this situation very seriously and conducting an investigation into the hire and into Redmond’s background.

In addition, the spokesperson also could not say if Redmond was still on the payroll or not, and said they would not have any further comment until the investigation is completed.

Source: https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/child-sex-offender-hired-by-dolton-mayor-faces-new-charges