Updated May 19, 2014:
A man accused of holding a woman and children in a Moline home was only convicted of one charge in the case, and he was recently released from prison.
Court records show Bryan Sharpe, 33, was charged in a 2013 case in Rock Island County with home invasion causing injury, domestic battery, unlawful restraint and violating an order of protection. Police previously accused Sharpe of forcing his way into a home and holding a woman and children there for several hours.
Court records show Sharpe was sentenced in June 2013 to three years in prison after he pleaded guilty to unlawful restraint and the remaining charges were dismissed.
In a letter to News 8, Mr. Sharpe said the incident involved a dispute between him and his ex-girlfriend over his desire to spend time with their children. Sharpe said he was served an order of protection the day after Christmas and that he believes the order was unprovoked.
Sharpe said there was a physical altercation between him and a relative of the ex-girlfriend, but that it followed civil conversation between Sharpe and his ex and that some of the previous allegations against him were false.
“I am a good person. I have never acted violent to anyone. I love my children and don’t know where they are, and have not seen them for a year and half. I never committed a home invasion, I never choked my ex-girlfriend, held her against her will to leave, nor really violated an order of protection. Most of these charges have been dismissed because they never happened, and there was no evidence or probable cause in the first place,” Sharpe said.
Illinois Department of Corrections records show Sharpe was paroled May 12, 2014 and that his sentence was expected to be discharged May 12, 2015.
Original story from January 10, 2013:
Police were searching for a man who held a Moline woman and her children were held in their home for several hours.
The woman had recently gotten an emergency order of protection against 22-year-old Bryan Sharpe. The woman was scheduled to be at a hearing related to that case at 10 a.m. Thursday, January 10, 2013.
Police said they think Sharpe was trying to prevent the woman from going to that hearing when he forced his way into the woman’s home on 11th Avenue C at about 6:30 a.m. that morning, and held the woman and her children there for several hours. Sharpe allegedly choked the woman and broke her cell phone while he was in her home.
Sharpe also reportedly fought with members of the woman’s family when they arrived at her house at about 9 a.m. During that altercation, one of the children was hurt.
Sharpe remained at large as of 3:45 p.m. January 10. He may be driving a black 2003 Honda Element with Illinois license plate P452-967. Anyone with information about his whereabouts should call 911.
Sharpe is charged with home invasion, unlawful restraint, domestic battery and violation of an order of protection. His bond for those charges is set at $300,000.
(editor’s note: We originally reported Mr. Sharpe was 22 years old. He was 32, with a birthdate in October 1980. We apologize for the error.)
