Elgin body shop owner sentenced for sexually abusing teen
The 42-year-old owner of an Elgin body shop pleaded guilty Wednesday to sexually abusing a teenage acquaintance last year.
In exchange for his guilty plea, Marco Fernandez, 42, of Belvidere was sentenced to six months in jail and 30 months of probation.
In addition, Fernandez must register as a sex offender for 10 years, said Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Jaclyn Lantz.
Prosecutors said Fernandez gave the young woman, then 18, a ride home and assaulted her on the way. He ignored her requests to stop and refused to let her use the phone, prosecutors said during Fernandez's bond hearing last year. At one point during the assault, the victm told authorities, Fernandez stopped at a store to make some purchases then returned with her to the body shop, prosecutors said.
Video surveillance at the body shop corroborated the woman's account, Lantz said.