Illinois mom accused of bearing child with teen date

Prosecutors say DNA links the newborn to a 14-year-old boy; a judge ordered the woman held without bail pending arraignment on Dec. 4.

WASHINGTON, Ill. — A 43-year-old Washington woman was arrested this week after authorities said DNA tests showed she gave birth to a child fathered by a 14-year-old who once escorted her daughter to a junior high school dance. She faces criminal sexual assault and child pornography charges and remains jailed without bail.

Prosecutors in Tazewell County said the case began after the woman delivered a baby earlier this year and investigators flagged details that tied the newborn to a teenage boy known to the family. The woman, identified in court records as Robyn Polston, is charged with two counts of criminal sexual assault involving a victim between 13 and 17 and two counts related to indecent images of a child. Assistant State’s Attorney Cassandra Wilkins described the investigation as ongoing. A judge ruled the defendant should stay in custody, citing risk factors and concerns about contact with the minor.

Authorities outlined a tight timeline. The boy attended a junior high dance with Polston’s daughter in May 2023, when Polston chaperoned, according to a probable cause affidavit. The teen later moved away, then returned for a short visit in April 2024 — roughly 40 weeks before the baby’s January 2025 birth — and again in June, before moving back to the area that August. When questioned about the pregnancy, Polston told investigators the father “was a man in his twenties named Brian” who was no longer around, the affidavit said. The account shifted as forensic work progressed and officers collected records tied to phones and online accounts.

Investigators said a DNA test confirmed the baby’s parents are Polston and the boy. The affidavit also states detectives recovered a large number of explicit images and videos involving the two from accounts linked to the teen’s phone. Prosecutors told the court that the pair used prepaid “burner” phones registered under false names, and that Polston asked the teen to help cover up the relationship. Officials wrote that the newborn’s birth certificate included the teen’s middle and last names, which first drew attention to a possible connection. Wilkins said her office learned of the case soon after the birth and coordinated with Washington police to gather biological and digital evidence.

At a hearing this week, Associate Judge Derek Asbury ordered Polston held without bail, agreeing with prosecutors who argued she could not be trusted to avoid the minor. Prosecutors told the court relatives appeared to support contact between the two, increasing the risk of interference while the case proceeds. Polston was arrested Monday following a months-long probe that included multiple search warrants and interviews. She has not entered a plea.

Washington is a small city in Tazewell County, east of Peoria, where district courts frequently handle cases that move quickly from preliminary charges to formal arraignment. Illinois law treats sexual conduct with a child under 17 by an adult as a felony; digital exploitation can be charged separately when images or recordings are involved. Local media have reported a rise in cases built on digital evidence, with investigators relying on cloud backups, messaging logs and phone records to establish timelines and corroborate statements.

According to court records summarized in the affidavit, the investigation began days after the birth, when officials noticed naming similarities on the baby’s paperwork. Detectives then matched travel and school timelines to visits the teen made to central Illinois in 2024. After the DNA result came back, prosecutors filed two sexual assault counts and two counts tied to child pornography. Each count carries a possible sentence of up to 15 years. A formal arraignment is set for Dec. 4 in Tazewell County, where a judge will read the charges and ask for a plea; future hearings would then be scheduled on bond conditions, discovery and motions.

Neighbors who appeared at the courthouse described a heavy police presence during the arrest but said little seemed unusual beforehand. Outside the hearing room, one attendee shook his head and said the case was “hard to process,” declining to give his name to protect the people involved. Inside, Asbury spoke briefly before ruling from the bench. “The court’s obligation is to ensure compliance with the law and to protect the integrity of these proceedings,” he said. The small gallery was quiet as deputies led Polston back to holding.

As of Friday, Polston remained in the Tazewell County jail. Prosecutors say the teen and his family are cooperating with investigators. The next scheduled milestone in the case is the Dec. 4 arraignment, when prosecutors could also address any additional forensic reports returned in recent weeks.

Author note: Last updated November 7, 2025.