Illinois Teacher Pleads Guilty to Having Sex with 11-Year-Old on ‘Play Dates,’ Claims He Made First Move

A 34-year-old substitute teacher in Illinois has pleaded guilty to having sex with an 11-year-old boy during “play dates” and giving the child money through CashApp.

Alley Bardfield is identified as the suspect in the case who allegedly targeted the child during visits to her home in Mt. Zion, Fox 32 reported on Monday.

The incidents reportedly happened during those so-called “play dates” in 2023 and 2024. When the victim’s mother noticed her child’s behavior had changed, she looked at his phone and social media and discovered incriminating evidence.

An image shows the suspect in the case:

The boy eventually told his mother he had a sexual encounters with Bardfield. His mother found texts between the suspect and her child and discovered she allegedly sent him $700 on CashApp.

The disgraced teacher, who is reportedly no longer working for Decatur Public Schools, has since pleaded guilty to predatory criminal sexual assault and reached a partial plea deal, KLTV reported on Monday.

The outlet noted the child had been in Bardfield’s class at Hope Academy. The report said the boy visited the teacher’s home in 2023 and two times in March 2024.

“During those visits in 2024, the boy and Bardfield had two sexual encounters,” the article read. Bardfield has admitted during interviews that she had sex with the child and sent him nude photos on SnapChat.

However, the woman also claimed he made sexual advances toward her. Bardfield’s sentencing is scheduled to take place in September.

It is important to note that children cannot consent to any form of sexual activity, per the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN).

“When a perpetrator engages with a child this way, they are committing a crime that can have lasting effects on the victim for years,” its website read, adding, “A perpetrator does not have to be an adult to harm a child. They can have any relationship to the child including an older sibling or playmate, family member, a teacher, a coach or instructor, a caretaker, or the parent of another child.”