A substitute teacher from Illinois has been accused of engaging in sexual activities with an 11-year-old male student during visits to her home, according to local authorities. The teacher, 34-year-old Alley Bardfield, reportedly blamed the child, alleging that he initiated the inappropriate behavior.
Bardfield is also accused of exchanging explicit messages and photographs with the boy via SnapChat, as well as sending him substantial amounts of money through the CashApp over a period of several months, as per a police statement. The mother of the sixth-grade student discovered $700 in CashApp transactions from Bardfield on her son’s phone. She had been investigating changes in her son’s behavior following a sleepover at Bardfield’s residence in Mount Zion.
Upon confronting her son, the mother learned that he had engaged in unprotected sexual activities with Bardfield. Bardfield, who recently pleaded guilty to predatory criminal sexual assault, was the boy’s teacher at Hope Academy public school in Decatur during the time of the alleged abuse, which occurred between 2023 and 2024.
The substitute teacher reportedly invited the boy to her home for several visits in 2023 and twice in March 2024. During these visits, the pair allegedly had two sexual encounters, as stated in a lawsuit filed by the child’s parents.
During a police interview, Bardfield claimed that the child had made sexual advances towards her first. She was subsequently dismissed from her position at Decatur Public Schools when the allegations came to light in April of the previous year.
Bardfield appeared in court in Macon County for a disposition hearing, where she reached a partial plea deal with prosecutors. She faces a potential sentence of up to 40 years in prison. While predatory criminal sexual assault can carry a sentence of up to 60 years, the state has agreed to limit its recommended sentence for Bardfield to 40 years as part of the plea deal. Her sentencing is scheduled for September 25.