Wheeling man gets 18 years for sex abuse of 2 children
A 28-year-old Wheeling man was sentenced to 18 years in prison Thursday after pleading guilty to sexually abusing two children more than 10 years ago.
In exchange for his guilty plea to aggravated criminal sexual assault and predatory criminal sexual assault, Fernando Garcia, of the 600 block of Merle Lane, was sentenced to nine years in prison on each count.
Cook County Judge Marc Martin ordered Garcia to serve the sentences consecutively. He also ordered Garcia to register as a sex offender for his lifetime.
Garcia admitted to abusing a 6-year-old boy between April 2004 and May 2005, when Garcia was between 15 and 16 years old. He also admitted to sexually abusing a girl from August 2006 through May 2008, when she was between 9 and 11 years old and he was between 17 and 18 years old.
Garcia had no other criminal background, prosecutors said.
Martin cited Garcia's acceptance of responsibility, "saving the victims the ordeal of having to come in to testify," as factors in his sentence.
Garcia, who received credit for 298 days in custody, must complete at least 85 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.