Wheeling man gets 90 days in jail for touching teenage girl

A Wheeling man was sentenced to 90 days in jail after pleading guilty Thursday to a reduced charge stemming from allegations he inappropriately touched a teenage girl last year.

Michael G. Leon, 37, of the 1300 block of Glengarry Court, admitted to a misdemeanor battery charge as part of a negotiated plea in which he also was placed on two years probation and ordered to undergo a sex offender evaluation.

In return for the guilty plea, McHenry County prosecutors dismissed two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, a felony, initially filed against Leon in June 2008.

The new charge alleged Leon touched the 13-year-old in "an insulting or provoking nature" on May 25, 2008.

Nichole Owens, criminal division chief for the McHenry County State's Attorney, said her office agreed to plead down the case because the Spring Grove girl's parents did not want her to testify.

"She was the only witness to these incidents and there was no corroborating evidence beyond her testimony, so her testimony and cooperation was crucial to the case," Owens said.

Leon attorney Wayne Brucar declined to comment.

Leon's plea comes about eight months after his 69-year-old father, George Leon, admitted guilt to a disorderly conduct charge stemming from an altercation he had July 8, 2008, while outside the home of a witness against his son. Authorities said George Leon made a false 911 call after he was confronted while taking photographs outside the Spring Grove residence. He was placed on probation for one year and fined $750.