People v. Varghese

909 N.E.2d 939, 391 Ill. App. 3d 866
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedJune 19, 2009
Docket2-07-0217
StatusPublished
Cited by33 cases

This text of 909 N.E.2d 939 (People v. Varghese) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Varghese, 909 N.E.2d 939, 391 Ill. App. 3d 866 (Ill. Ct. App. 2009).

Opinions

JUSTICE HUTCHINSON

delivered the opinion of the court:

Defendant, Roy G. Varghese, appeals his seven-year sentence imposed by the circuit court of Du Page County. Defendant entered a fully negotiated plea of guilty to the offense of aggravated criminal sexual abuse (720 ILCS 5/12 — 16(d) (West 2004)). In exchange for his plea, he received 2 years of sex offender probation and 28 days in jail. Subsequently, the trial court granted the State’s petition to revoke defendant’s probation and resentenced him to a seven-year term of imprisonment. Defendant appeals, contending, inter alia, that the evidence admitted against him at his resentencing hearing was irrelevant and unreliable. He also contends that the trial court erred when it resentenced him, because it punished him for his conduct while on probation rather than strictly for his original offense. We vacate defendant’s sentence and remand for resentencing.

In April 2004, defendant was charged with multiple counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse stemming from allegations that he met a 13-year-old girl in an Internet chat room and then engaged in various sexual acts with her in the parking lot of the Addison Library. Following defendant’s plea of guilty, the State filed a petition to revoke his probation, alleging that he violated the conditions of probation by driving while his license was suspended. The stop of defendant for the traffic infraction arose from an investigation in July 2006 involving a mother who used her 16-year-old daughter’s MySpace account to arrange a meeting with a 28-year-old male. Defendant admitted that he had violated his probation by driving while his license was suspended, and the trial court informed defendant that his new sentence could range from probation to seven years’ imprisonment.

At the resentencing hearing, the State called Addison detective Brian Gross, the lead detective investigating defendant’s April 2004 offense, to testify about that case. Gross testified that, in three separate e-mails to the 13-year-old victim, defendant signed “always, Tommy.” Gross also testified that defendant admitted he referred to himself as “Tommy” in conversations that he had with the victim. Gross testified that defendant’s computer profile indicated that defendant was also “Tommy D” in his communications with the victim; defendant admitted to Gross that that was his profile and the name he used. Gross further testified that he learned from the victim that defendant referred to his ethnicity as Puerto Rican, Filipino, and Indian.

Next, Mary R. testified that in July 2006 she intercepted MySpace communications between her 16-year-old daughter, L.R., and a user named “Tommy.” She testified that “Tommy’s” profile listed his age as 28 but did not have a profile picture other than a generic silhouette. Upon seeing these communications, Mary R. warned her daughter not to communicate with “Tommy” anymore. Mary R. testified that she personally contacted “Tommy” by e-mail and told him that her daughter was 16 and that he should leave her daughter alone or Mary R. would call the police. On cross-examination, however, Mary R. admitted that she did not have a copy of the e-mail. On direct examination, Mary R. further testified that, on July 24, she was searching through the communications on the computer when “Tommy” sent another message intended for her daughter. She testified that “Tommy” wrote “hi; I heard from your mom.” Mary R. deliberately tried to maintain the conversation, intending to set up a meeting with him. Recalling a previous conversation in which “Tommy” had said that Absolut vodka was available, Mary R. asked if it still was available and “Tommy” affirmed that it was. Eventually, “Tommy” agreed to meet at 11:30 a.m. at a park near Birchbark and Morton Roads in Carol Stream. He did not describe his car, but described himself as a 28-year-old Puerto Rican, Filipino. Mary R. subsequently called the Carol Stream police.

Carol Stream sergeant Daniel Hoffman testified that he was contacted by Mary R. about the conversation she had with “Tommy” on July 24. Hoffman testified that Mary R. informed him about the meeting she had set up with “Tommy.” After setting up surveillance near the park, Hoffman observed an Hispanic or Asian male slowly drive past him in a gold Nissan. Hoffman stopped the gold Nissan for failing to signal 100 feet before making a turn; defendant was the driver. Hoffman testified that defendant’s hands were shaking as he handed over his license and that he appeared nervous. When Hoffman asked defendant where he was going, defendant said that he was looking for his wife’s friend’s home. Defendant was subsequently arrested for driving while his license was suspended. Upon an inventory search of the car, police recovered from the trunk a bottle of Absolut vodka and two drinking glasses. From defendant himself, police recovered a sealed condom package.

Detective Matthew Harrison testified that he interviewed defendant at the Carol Stream police department. During this interview, defendant denied that he was “Tommy” on MySpace. Harrison testified that defendant said he was looking for a “help wanted” sign that his cousin told him was near County Farm and Lies Roads. Defendant denied knowledge of the Absolut vodka in the trunk of the car. Harrison testified that he found on defendant a jump drive and a camera flash drive. Defendant gave Harrison consent to search their contents.

Harrison next testified about his investigation related to the contents of the drives. Harrison testified that, after looking at defendant’s MySpace friends, he observed communications between “Tommy” and another user named “Betsy.” Harrison contacted “Betsy” through his own MySpace account and, upon request, “Betsy” forwarded Harrison an e-mail and a photo attachment she received from “Tommy.” The State presented printouts of the e-mail and the attached photograph. The printouts indicated that the e-mail was sent by Roy Varghese from the address “Rvarghese78@hotmail.com.” The e-mail also listed “Sxysweetthang87@sbcglobal.net” as the addressee. Harrison testified that the photo sent to “Sxysweetthang87” was identical to a photo recovered from defendant’s drive. On cross-examination, Harrison admitted that Rvarghese78@hotmail.com was registered to Joseph Stevenson, with a listed birth date of November 3, 1983. Furthermore, he admitted that there was no information that the Rvarghese78 e-mail account was accessed on July 19, July 21, or July 24.

Harrison also testified regarding grand jury subpoenas related to the “Tommy” MySpace account. The subpoenaed records reflected that the account was registered to Tommy Stevens and listed the e-mail address as “Rvarghese78@hotmail.com.” Additionally, Harrison testified that an Internet Protocol activity report indicated that a user logged onto the “Tommy” account on the morning of July 24 from a public computer at the College of Du Page. On cross-examination, Harrison admitted that an unlimited amount of Internet users could have assumed the MySpace identity of “Tommy.” Harrison also agreed that, with respect to user names, a user name of “Tommy” was not the same as a user name of “TommyD411.”

Through Harrison, the State presented several documents it received from Mary R. Harrison testified to portions of certain e-mails, such as where “Tommy” stated, “hey sweetie; wha’s up? Cute pics. My name is Tommy.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
909 N.E.2d 939, 391 Ill. App. 3d 866, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-varghese-illappct-2009.