An Illinois woman is facing serious charges after allegedly giving birth to a child conceived with a 14-year-old boy.
Robyn Polston, 43, has been charged with two counts of criminal sexual assault involving a victim aged 13 to 17, as well as two counts of possessing child pornography, according to her court docket. Each charge carries a potential prison sentence of up to 15 years.
The allegations stem from Polston’s reported sexual abuse of one of her daughter’s friends, according to a probable-cause affidavit. Tazewell County Assistant State’s Attorney Cassandra Wilkins wrote that her office became aware of the case after the Washington Police Department began investigating Polston following the birth of her baby in January 2025.
Investigators obtained the newborn’s birth certificate about a week later and discovered that Polston had given the baby the same middle and last name as the alleged victim, the affidavit states. When questioned, Polston reportedly claimed that the father was “a man in his twenties named Brian,” whom she had not seen since the child’s birth.
Authorities began looking into the alleged victim’s background and learned that he had attended a junior-high dance in May 2023, where Polston was serving as a chaperone. The boy moved away soon afterward but returned to visit in April 2024 — approximately 40 weeks before Polston gave birth. He came back again in June and eventually moved permanently in August 2024 to live with the family of a friend, according to the affidavit.
Investigators also discovered “a large number of sexually explicit images and videos” involving Polston and the teenager. A DNA test later confirmed that Polston and the boy were the child’s biological parents, the affidavit states.
Polston was arrested earlier this week and is currently being held without bail. She has not yet entered a plea and is scheduled to be arraigned on December 4, according to court records. Her attorney has not responded to a request for comment.
