Rapist Sentenced to 33 Years in Prison; Victim was 65-year-old Woman
Kenneth Hatlen was sentenced to 33 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
HATLEN PLED GUILTY TO BRUTALLY ATTACKING, BEATING AND SEXUALLY ASSAULTING A 65-YEAR-OLD WOMAN AS SHE ARRIVED TO WORK EARLY IN THE MORNING.
GLENDALE HEIGHTS - DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert B. Berlin announced that on Friday afternoon, October 15, 2021, an unincorporated Glendale Heights man charged with attacking, beating and sexually assaulting a sixty-five-year-old woman as she arrived to work early in the morning was sentenced to thirty-three years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. Kenneth Hatlen, 55 (d.o.b. 9/27/1966) of Virginia Avenue, appeared in court Friday morning where he entered a plea of guilty to one count of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault (a Class X Felony) in front of Judge John Kinsella. Hatlen was also sentenced to three additional years to be served consecutively after entering a plea of guilty to one count of Aggravated Battery (Class 2 Felony) for spitting on a DuPage County Deputy Sheriff while in custody.
On May 10, 2019, at approximately 4:15 a.m., the victim arrived at a Glendale Heights restaurant to begin her shift. Before she could open the door however, Hatlen, a former employee at the restaurant, grabbed her and dragged her to a grassy area near her car where he strangled her and sexually assaulted her. After the assault, Hatlen then fled the scene and the victim was taken to a local hospital. An investigation conducted by the Glendale Heights Police Department led to Hatlen who was taken into custody the following day in Darien. He appeared in Bond Court on May 12, 2019, where bond was set at $750,000 with 10% to apply. He has remained in custody at the DuPage County Jail since that time.
“Crimes of sexual violence remain a top priority of my office,” Berlin said. “In this case, the crime committed against the victim is simply appalling. The fact that Mr. Hatlen pled guilty to his crimes does nothing to erase the memory of what he did or the pain and suffering he caused his victim. Thanks to the outstanding work of the Glendale Heights and Darien Police Department however, Mr. Hatlen was taken into custody in very short order. Thanks to the efforts of Assistant State’s Attorneys Lee Roupas and Alexandria Levan of my Office’s Sexual Violence/Child Protection Division, Mr. Hatlen will serve a significant amount of time behind bars where he will be unable to prey on innocent, unsuspecting women.”
Hatlen will be required to serve 85% of his Class X Felony sentence and 50% of his Class 2 Felony sentence before being eligible for parole. The sentences will be served consecutively.
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