Sex Offender in Batavia Store Incident Pleads Guilty

A 57-year-old man with a history of sex offenses will serve a prison term for exposing and fondling himself in a Batavia retail store in December 2012, and for failing to register with Aurora police as a sex offender.

James E. Rozema of Aurora on Wednesday agreed to a sentence of four years in the Illinois Department of Corrections in exchange for a guilty plea to one count of public indecency, a Class 4 felony, and one count of failing to register as a sex offender, a Class 2 felony. The Kane County State's Attorney's Office announced the sentence in a news release.

A Class 4 felony is usually punishable by probation or between one and three years in prison. However, because Rozema had been convicted of felony public indecency in the prior 10 years, and because he had been previously convicted of failing to register as a sex offender, he was eligible for extended-term sentencing.

Circuit Judge Susan Clancy Boles accepted the plea.

At about 1:30 p.m. Dec. 20, 2012, Rozema entered a business in the 300 block of Randall Road in Batavia and exposed and fondled himself within the view of other customers. When confronted, Rozema left the store.

Witnesses later identified Rozema as the offender through a photo lineup. When contacted by police, Rozema acknowledged that he had been in the store at the time of the incident.

Later, on Dec. 20, 2012, Rozema went to the Aurora Police Department to register as a sex offender as required by law because of his prior sex offenses. However, an investigation revealed that Rozema had not registered since changing his address in October 2012.

A warrant for Rozema was issued and he was taken into custody.

Rozema will serve four years for each count. The sentences are to be served concurrently.

According to Illinois law, Rozema is eligible for day-for-day sentencing. He was given credit for 37 days served in the Kane County jail.