14-year sentence for sexual assault

A Crystal Lake man was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment in Saline County Circuit Court in May.

Michael J. Reyes, 35, Crystal Lake, pled guilty Feb. 26 to a Class 1 felony charge of criminal sexual assault of a family member under the age of 18, according to a release from Saline County State's Attorney Michael Henshaw's office.

Due to the nature of the offense, Reyes must serve no less than 85 percent of the sentence handed down by Judge Walden E. Morris. The sentence requires Reyes serve three years to life of mandatory supervised released along with fines, fees and costs be required to register as a sexual offender for the rest of his life.

According to court documents, Carrier Mills Police Officer Billy Duncan was dispatched to a disturbance on Railroad Street in Carrier Mills. A 911 call led Duncan to a residence on Walnut Street, where he arrived at at 6:21 p.m. Several people were standing outside, claiming Reyes had been molesting a young female family member.

According to court documents, Reyes denied the accusations to Duncan. The officer then went to speak to the family members who were accusing Reyes. They said the young girl had disclosed to her cousin that she was in a sexual relationship with Reyes and was considering harming herself.

When Duncan spoke to the young girl, she told him the accusations were true and Reyes had indeed been having a sexual intercourse with her, according to court documents.

Then Carrier Mills Police Detective Curt Hustedde led the investigation while former Saline County Assistant State's Attorney Eva Walker handled the prosecution until her departure from the department and Assistant State's Attorney Jayson M. Clark and Lorinda Lamken of the Illinois State's Attorney's Appellate Prosecutor's Special Prosecution Unit completed the prosecution.