St. Charles Man Arrested For Sexually Assaulting Woman: Deputies

ST. CHARLES - A St. Charles man is behind bars and charged with sexually assaulting a woman he met on an internet dating service, deputies said. Investigators said they were able to track Samuel Helland, 40, in New York on Dec. 19 and took him into custody.

Helland's arrest stems from an incident that reportedly occurred more than a year ago, according to authorities. On July 31, 2018, deputies with the Kane County Sheriff's Office said Helland was living at a home on Jackson Avenue in St. Charles when he invited a woman into his home he'd met earlier that evening online.

While at his home, investigators said Helland sexually assaulted the woman. The woman, deputies say, was able to leave the house later and immediately filed a police report and was treated and released from Delnor Hospital.

During the course of the investigation, authorities said Helland left the area and a $250,000 warrant was issued for his arrest.

Early in 2019, the Kane County Sheriff’s Office assigned one deputy to the U.S. Marshall’s Chicago Task Force to aid in the apprehension of major fugitives from justice. Sheriff’s detectives and the Task Force agent worked to track down Helland in New York state, where he was taken into custody this month.

Authorities said Helland will be extradited back to Kane County to await trial.

“Collaboration and task-forcing with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies is essential to public safety and the apprehension of major criminals,” Sheriff Ron Hain said.

Authorities stressed that the charges against Helland are not proof of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the State’s burden to prove his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.