March 04, 2006

Aurora resident among two charged with sexual assault

WHEATON (IL)
The Beacon News

By Matt Hanley
Staff Writer

WHEATON — The DuPage County State's Attorney's Office Friday announced sexual assault charges against two former employees of a Downers Grove church, including an Aurora man who had worked as an athletic coach.

According to the indictment, Joe Puga, 33, of Aurora, engaged in sexual activity with an underage female who was a student at the Marquette Manor Baptist Church from November 2001 to May 2002. The age of the victim was not released.

Puga was charged with criminal sexual assault as well as aggravated criminal sexual abuse, a felony that carries a penalty of three to seven years in prison.

As of late Friday, Puga had not been arrested, although the state's attorney's office would not elaborate on his status.

A former youth pastor at the church, Edward Greene, 35, now of North Carolina, also was charged Friday with three counts of felony criminal sexual assault, and faces four to 15 years in prison, the state's attorney's office said.
Greene has not been arrested at this point, a spokesman for the office said.

Posted by kshaw at March 4, 2006 07:22 AM