A former mixed martial arts gym owner in Galesburg and Monmouth will be going to prison for most of the next two decades after being convicted during a bench trial of counts of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault and Aggravated Criminal Abuse.
Judge James Standard Friday sentenced Beau Admire, 43, to a total of 20 years in prison on the assault charges, and another eight years on the abuse charge. Under the state’s Truth in Sentencing laws, 85 percent of the assault sentences must be served before Admire can be released, and the abuse charge requires 50 percent of that sentences to be served. All sentences are to be served consecutively.
Admire was arrested in 2022, accused of multiple instances of improper sexual contact with a female who was 13 and 14 at the time. He owned an MMA gym in Monmouth, and later Badger Combatives in Galesburg.
The victim, whom WGIL chooses not to identify in order to protect her identity, said in a victim impact statement made Friday she for years felt “severe damage” had been done to her by Admire, and that she felt like she was living a double life, unable to come forward until 2022. The victim said she felt for a long time like she was “dirty…disgusting…and damaged goods,” while Admire lived a life “without an ounce of accountability.”
The victim and Warren County State’s Attorney Thomas Siegel said there were at least ten such instances between her and Admire, though they only could bring forward evidence of three.
Other former clients of Admire’s testified during the hearing, one who claims to have refused other advances by Admire despite a past sexual relationship, and one who claimed she was told at the age of 16 by Admire that if she wanted to advance her MMA career, she was eventually going to have to have nude pictures taken.
Siegel, when recommending a sentence, said that Admire was a “manipulator” of not only the victim, but also other females that trained with him.
“What he did was absolutely despicable,” said Siegel.
Admire’s attorney, Andrew Stuckart, pointed to his client’s lack of a criminal history in requesting a much lower sentence, the fact that his kids would be without their dad while he’s in prison, and claimed that while the conduct caused harm, it was not physical — something Standard disagreed with. Stuckart also said that it was likely Admire would not commit another such crime, given that both his gyms have now closed, and that he will never be an MMA coach again.
Admire, however, declined to speak Friday on his own behalf.
In imposing the sentence, Standard said that while he had a “strong” relationship with his children, Admire caused “great distress” to the victim, and that mental harm can, indeed, cause physical effects, while admitting that Admire did lead a “law-abiding life” for a substantial period of time.
“I feel sad for you,” the victim said to Admire, saying God has helped her immensely in recent years. “I’m stronger than I’ve ever been,” the victim said, telling Admire that he should “surrender’ to God.
An appeal of the sentence is expected. Admire will spend from three years to life on parole when released. He was ordered to pay a $5,000 fine — lower than what Siegel requested.
“I hope you emerge from incarceration a different person,” Standard said to Admire.
