STILLWATER, Okla. – Forty years ago, Dennis Hastert coached Yorkville High School to the Illinois state wrestling championship. Yesterday, the former speaker of the U.S. House was sentenced to 15 months in prison by a federal judge who described him as a “serial child molester” who preyed on his athletes.

Despite Hastert’s steep fall from grace, he remains a heralded member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, which awarded him its “Outstanding American Award” 16 years ago for his contribution to the sport and society when he was at the top of his political career.

But ever since he was charged last May with lying to the FBI about paying hush money to cover up his sexual abuse history, the Hall of Fame that honored him has nervously awaited the outcome of his case. 

Lee Roy Smith, executive director of the Hall of Fame, said now that Hastert has been convicted and sentenced, the hall’s ethics committee and board of directors will determine whether to remove him from the hall and rescind his honors. That decision could come as early as next week. 

“We wanted all facts,” Smith told the Stillwater News Press. “That’s why we waited until sentencing.”

Hastert, 74,  became a member of the Hall of Fame for his success as a wrestling coach at Yorkville, a small western suburb of Chicago, and his support of the sport over the years. He coached and taught at the high school from 1965 to 1981, then turned his attention to politics upon election to a seat in the Illinois Legislature. He later became a 10-term Illinois congressman, rising to House speaker and second in line to serve as U.S. president.

As a politician, Smith said, Hastert “did a lot to try to help wrestling.  Programs were being lost due to unintended consequences of Title IX (which protects athletes from discrimination based on gender). He did an awful lot to prevent that from spreading, damaging and eliminating programs and opportunities for student wrestlers.”

Hastert’s dark past caught up with him a year ago when authorities noticed he was withdrawing large sums of money without explanation from his bank accounts. An FBI investigation disclosed Hastert paid more than $1.3 million in hush to a sex abuse victim he had preyed on while a coach.

Wednesday, he slouched in a wheelchair as U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin sentenced Hastert to 15 months in prison, fined him $250,000 and ordered that he undergo sex offender treatment. Hastert had pleaded guilty earlier to violating a banking law in connection with his hush money payments.

Judge Durkin rejected the request of Hastert’s lawyers that he be placed on probation because of failing health. He also went beyond the prosecutor’s recommendation of six months in prison.

“The defendant is a serial child molester,” the judge said. “Some actions can obliterate a lifetime of good works. Nothing is more stunning than having ‘serial child molester’ and ‘speaker of the House’ in the same sentence.”

Details for this story were provided by the Stillwater, Okla., News Press.