The Aurora Police Department has arrested and charged a 66-year-old monk of Marmion Abbey as a result of an extensive sexual assault investigation. The investigation revealed the monk had sexual contact with a former student of Marmion Academy.

In September of 2021, Aurora Police took a report on behalf of the former student, who detailed multiple instances of sexual contact with the monk while he was a student at Marmion Academy. The monk, Joseph J. Charron (also known as Brother Andre’), who is also a teacher at Marmion Academy, continued his non-consensual sexual conduct with the student beyond graduation. Upon notification of the allegations, Marmion Academy placed Charron on administrative leave and he was barred from the school campus and other ministerial functions. Marmion Academy and Marmion Abbey cooperated with the criminal investigation and an internal investigation into Charron’s conduct by Marmion Abbey is ongoing.

Detectives interviewed multiple potential witnesses, collected items of evidentiary value, and presented the case to the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office, who approved the following charges against Charron: 

• Three Class 1 Felony charges of Criminal Sexual Assault (Force)
• Three Class 1 Felony charges of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse (Sexual Conduct by Person in Position of Authority of a Victim under 18)
• Two Class 4 Felony charges of Criminal Sexual Abuse (Non-Consensual Sexual Conduct)

Charron surrendered to the Aurora Police Department Wednesday morning without incident.

Detectives have not yet determined whether Charron had sexual contact with other students from Marmion Academy. If you have any information or were victimized by Charron, please call the Aurora Police Department’s Investigations Division at (630) 256-5500 or email [email protected]. 

Charges are not proof of guilt. The defendant listed in this release is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial, at which it is the burden of the State to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.