Health worker sentenced for sex abuse at Salem Village

JOLIET – A health care worker pleaded guilty Monday to sexually abusing a nursing home patient last fall.

Renato T. Timola, 47, of the 7600 block of Ridgefield Lane in Tinley Park, was sentenced to 4½ years in prison for aggravated criminal sexual abuse after prosecutors dropped sexual assault and aggravated battery charges as part of a deal.

About 4:45 a.m. on Nov. 22, 2013, witnesses at Salem Village, 1314 Rowell Ave., caught Timola having sex with a disabled 19-year-old woman, according to police reports.

Assistant Will County State’s Attorney Mark Fleszewski told Judge Carla Alessio-Policandriotes the victim’s family supported the plea agreement. They have also filed a lawsuit against Timola and Salem Village, which has not been resolved.

Timola has no prior criminal record. While he told Alessio-Policandriotes he graduated high school and understands English, Timola had an interpreter present during court proceedings because his first language is Tagalog, a dialect of the Philippines.

Timola did not make any statement before his plea was accepted, but asked his wife, who was in the courtroom audience, about the medication he’s taking for high blood pressure.