FAYETTE COUNTY, IL — A 51-year-old Vandalia man has been found guilty in Fayette County Court to be a sexually violent person. A Judge ordered Michael Boaz to remain in the custody of the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) for treatment citing that he would jeopardize the safety of children in the community if he was released.

Boaz is known to have a long history of violent behavior including sexually abusing children. He was convicted of Battery in 1992, Domestic Battery in 2000, and Aggravated Battery in 2004. He was then sentenced to 2 years in 2004 for sexually abusing his stepdaughters, both under the age of 12. Boaz was released 2 years later but convicted in 2006 for sexually abusing his then-girlfriend’s 8-year-old son and 15-year-old daughter. He was sentenced to 7 years in prison. Boaz was also at one point convicted of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Felon in federal court and served 42 months in federal prison. He was on federal supervised release when he abused his stepchildren in ‘04.

Once committed to IDHS, offenders are re-evaluated on a regular basis to determine if they continue to meet the criteria for commitment as a sexually violent person.