By Beth Hundsdorfer
Belleville News-Democrat
BELLEVILLE, Ill. — A former guard at Southwestern Illinois Correction Center in Washington Park has pleaded guilty to official misconduct charges related to her engaging in sexual relations with an inmate.
Victoria Castillo Wilken, 34, of the 2700 block of Lauren Lake Drive in Belleville, pleaded guilty to two counts of official misconduct and was sentenced to two years of probation and pay a $1,477 fine.
In exchange for her guilty plea, prosecutors dropped five counts of custodial sexual misconduct charges, meaning Wilken will not have to register as a sex offender.
Wilken entered her plea on Monday before St. Clair County Chief Judge John Baricevic.
One official misconduct charge stated that Wilken “with the intent to obtain personal advantage for herself or another” provided toothbrushes, mouthwash, toothpaste, dental floss and food items to an inmate, identified only as “L.G.” in the charges that were filed in July. The second official misconduct charges stated that Wilken engaged in sex with an inmate at Southwestern Correctional Center in Washington Park, an act prohibited by law.
Wilken began working for the Illinois Department of Correction on Oct. 1, 2003. She earned $54,055 last year. She resigned June 4.
Wilken is married to former Southwestern Illinois Correctional Center guard Bradley G. Wilken. He is currently a trooper with the Illinois State Police.
St. Clair County State’s Attorney Brendan Kelly issued a “no confidence” letter regarding Bradley Wilken in July after a motorist alleged that Bradley Wilken he choked him during a traffic stop.
Bradley Wilken earned $84,278 last year and is currently on restricted duty. He was not charged criminally.
Southwestern Illinois Correctional Center is at the site of the former Assumption High School. The facility is a totally dedicated substance abuse community that holds about 710 minimum-security inmates.
“The Southwestern Illinois Correctional Center continues to have an excellent reputation for rehabilitating inmates,” Kelly said. “Their correctional officers defended that reputation by insuring that violations of their professional standards would not be tolerated and by working with my office as we continue to prosecute misconducte that undermines public trust whether its at the state or local level.”