Convicted Sex Offender Released After Four Years, Victim Fears Consequences

A rape survivor, whose attacker was released Wednesday, after serving a fraction of his original sentence, said she's afraid he might make good on his promise to find her again.

Sabrina was 13 years old when she was raped by a man, who was trying to become the youth pastor at her church in DePew.

A jury originally sentenced Greg Bryant to 35 years in prison, but after a new trial, it was reduced to six years.

Wednesday, he was released after serving four years.

Sabrina said Bryant promised to find her when he got released, and she's afraid he will make good on that promise.

She said she's also worried about future children he may target.

In 2004, when Sabrina was 13, she and her older sister were going through a pretty rough time, with a mother strung out on drugs.

So, when a man who came to her church, interested in being a youth pastor, acted like he cared about her and even offered to let all three stay with him until her mother got clean, it seemed like a kindhearted gesture, at first.

"When he talked to my mom about it, she didn't think it was a good idea," Sabrina said. "He told her if we didn't, he'd call DHS and have my sister and me taken away."

So, they moved in with Bryant. Her mother was sick in bed most of the time and Bryant kept Sabrina isolated. She said he had her sleep on the couch with him, where he raped her every night for a week. That's when her grandfather came and moved the family in with him.

Sabrina told her pastor, who told her mother and Bryant was arrested.

"He told me God told him we were supposed to be married and have a ministry together and spend the rest of our lives together," Sabrina said.

She said testifying about the rapes in court was horrifying, but she was relieved the jury found him guilty of rape and sentenced Bryant to 30 years. Then the judge suspended it all, which meant he didn't have to serve a single day in jail.

Bryant was later granted a new trial and, at 16 years old, Sabrina testified again. The jury, this time, found him guilty of lewd molestation and gave him six years in prison.

Sabrina has checked the Department of Corrections website every single day since he was sent away in 2008, to check his release date. Wednesday was the day.

"I didn't know what to think," Sabrina said. "Many things ran through my mind. ‘Is he going to try to show up? What will he do? Will he just move off?' I worry about all the other kids out there he's going to target."

Sabrina said she was told Bryant will have to register as a sex offender.

He was arrested for failing to register after his first trial.

She hopes wherever he goes, the authorities will keep track of him.

Sabrina said her life is so much better now, she has two children and is back in school, and she doesn't want him getting out changing any of that.