Former Belleville police captain charged with alleged sexual abuse of minors
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include additional information from Monroe County Sheriff’s Department.
A former Belleville police captain has been arrested by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department and charged with three counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a minor.
The state’s attorney’s office filed the Class 1 felony charges against James L. Goodwin, 82, of Belleville, on Thursday. Four days earlier, someone had reported the alleged abuse of two juvenile female victims, according to a Facebook statement by Capt. Justin Biggs.
“The charges stem from reports indicating that Goodwin, a family member in a position of trust, had engaged in inappropriate contact with the minors over an extended period,” Biggs wrote.
“Investigators conducted extensive interviews and ultimately identified sufficient evidence to support formal charges.”
Goodwin was arraigned on Friday in Monroe County Circuit Court in Waterloo and pleaded not guilty, court records show. Columbia attorney Arthur Morris is representing him.
“Evaluation to be completed with Dr. Cuneo,” states an entry in Goodwin’s case history, referring to Dr. Daniel Cuneo, a Belleville forensic psychologist who works with courts throughout the metro-east to evaluate the mental fitness of defendants.
Goodwin was being held in the Monroe County Jail on Saturday, according to jail records.
State’s Attorney Ryan Webb had petitioned to detain Goodwin, which means officials are arguing that he needs to stay in pretrial detention because he poses a danger to public safety. Webb couldn’t be reached for comment on Friday.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 18 with 24th Judicial Circuit Judge Chris Hitzemann.
The Waterloo-based Republic-Times newspaper reported that prosecutors allege Goodwin “intentionally touched” a female victim under 13 during three incidents between Nov. 9, 2023, and Nov. 9, 2025.
Two of the incidents allegedly took place at the victim’s residence in Maeystown, and one at RMC Cinemas in Waterloo, the newspaper reported.
On Thursday, Monroe County investigators, assisted by Belleville police and Illinois State Police, located Goodwin in a coffee shop on East Main Street in Belleville, according to Biggs’ statement.
“After investigators conducted surveillance, Goodwin exited the business and was taken into custody without incident,” Biggs wrote.
Monroe County Sheriff Neal Rohlfing couldn’t be reached for comment on Saturday, nor could Belleville Police Chief Matt Eiskant. Eiskant joined the department in 2001, so he would have worked with Goodwin. Eiskant became chief three years ago.
Goodwin spent more than 30 years with Belleville police, beginning in the 1970s and continuing into the 2000s. He was one of four officers considered for the position of police chief in 1997.
Goodwin had become Belleville’s chief of detectives in 1993. Two years later, then Police Chief Dave Brauer reassigned him to lead a special division formed to fight gang-related crime.
In 2000, Goodwin shot and killed 20-year-old carjacking and robbery suspect Dwayne Jackson in the back of the head during a foot chase. Jackson was later determined to be unarmed.
The FBI and Illinois State Police investigated the shooting. Former St. Clair County State’s Attorney Bob Haida decided not to prosecute Goodwin, maintaining that police were allowed to use deadly force in such circumstances.
“Clearly, it was reasonable for Lt. Goodwin to believe that Dwayne Jackson was armed and dangerous,” Haida said at the time.
Then Police Chief James Rokita took unspecified disciplinary action against Goodwin for allowing a civilian, former Police Chief Barry Biehl, to ride in his patrol car that day. Biehl witnessed the shooting.
The local chapter of the NAACP complained that Goodwin, who is white, had violated the civil rights of Jackson, who was black. That and other criticism led to months of news stories, editorials and letters to the editor.
In 2004, then Belleville Police Chief Terry Delaney promoted Goodwin to the rank of captain.
This story was originally published November 15, 2025 at 12:46 PM.
