A former DuPage County gymnastics coach pleaded guilty in court Wednesday, bringing to an end a decades-long case involving the abuse of 14 girls he used to coach.
Michael Cardamone, 35, pleaded guilty to seven counts of aggravated battery and seven counts of unlawful restraint in a public place.
Cardamone was convicted in 2005 and sentenced to 20 years for molesting gymnasts in Aurora, but an Illinois appeals court overturned his conviction in 2008. Prosecutors filed new charges against him in May 2011.
The judge sentenced the Oswego man to a maximum extended term of 10 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections with credit for time served, meaning he was able to walk free on Wednesday.
Cardamone will have to register as a violent offender against children.
Cardamone was initially arrested in 2002 when a former student told her parents that he had touched her inappropriately while coaching her. An investigation found other victims aged 7-14, with the inappropriate contact occurring from 1999 through 2002.
After the court appearance, Cardamone left to get the ankle bracelet he’s been forced to wear for more than three years removed, according to The Beacon News.
