DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - A former long-term substitute teacher for Decatur Public Schools is set to be sentenced Thursday after entering a partial plea agreement in August.

Alley Bardfield, 34, was arrested by police in April 2024 for sexually abusing and grooming an 11-year-old student.

According to Mt. Zion Police, in early April 2024, a Decatur resident reported a possible inappropriate relationship between Bardfield and her 11-year-old son. The victim was a sixth grade student with DPS at the time of the crime.

During an August hearing, Bardfield took a partial plea agreement to count 1. The state has recommended she be sentenced to 40 years, which would be an 85% sentence.

Back in 2024, the victim's mother said her son had been acting differently after a visit to Bardfield's home.

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