A 43-year-old Illinois woman has been charged with criminal sexual assault after allegedly conceiving a child with a 14-year-old boy who attended a junior high dance as her daughter’s date, according to court documents reported by the New York Post and local authorities. Police say the woman, identified as Robyn Polston, gave birth in January 2025 and attempted to conceal the identity of the child’s father before investigators intervened.
What investigators found
Polston was arrested Monday and is facing two counts of criminal sexual assault involving a victim between ages 13 and 17, as well as two counts of possession of child pornography. The Washington Police Department launched an investigation after receiving a complaint following the birth, according to a probable cause affidavit cited in multiple reports.Investigators obtained the baby’s birth certificate and noticed the child’s middle and last name matched that of the alleged teenage victim. Polston initially told police that the father was an adult man in his twenties named “Brian,” claiming she no longer had contact with him.Further review revealed that the 14-year-old boy had attended a junior high dance in May 2023 as Polston’s daughter’s date, where Polston was present as a chaperone. The affidavit states that the boy later moved away but returned to the area 40 weeks before the child’s birth. Police say the teen eventually came back to live with a friend’s family in August 2024, keeping him within contact distance of Polston.Phone records reportedly uncovered explicit images and videos exchanged between Polston and the teenager, shared through burner phones set up under aliases. Authorities also allege Polston attempted to persuade the teen to help create cover stories to obscure the relationship.A DNA test later confirmed the boy as the biological father of the newborn, according to court filings.
Court response
Prosecutors argued that Polston could not be trusted to avoid further contact with the minor, saying family members had enabled the relationship. A judge ordered her held without bail while the case proceeds. Her next court appearance is scheduled for December 4.An attorney listed for Polston did not respond to requests for comment.
The child’s welfare
Authorities have not publicly disclosed custody arrangements for the infant, but child protective services are involved in the case. Officials have also not released the name or current location of the teenage boy to protect his identity as a minor.The investigation remains ongoing.
