Former day-care owner's sex abuse trial under way

A prosecutor said Tuesday that a former day-care operator from Lake Zurich repeatedly molested a young girl in his care over an 18-month period.

But Michael Feeney's attorney told the jury seated before Lake County Circuit Judge James Booras that the acts never happened.

Feeney, 59, faces a mandatory prison sentence of between six and 30 years in prison if convicted of predatory sexual assault of a child.

Assistant State's Attorney Bolling Haxall told the jury of seven men and five women that the abuse came to light after the girl, now 7 years old, told her grandmother and mother about the incidents in December 2006.

Haxall said the girl described Feeney touching her inappropriately and blindfolding her before making her perform a sex act in an office in Feeney's house at 25 Mohawk Trail.

The acts took place between January 2005 and June 2006, Haxall said, when the girl's mother stopped sending her to Feeney's Kids Kare.

Feeney, who Haxall said had been in the day-care business with his wife since 1991, was taken in for questioning by Lake Zurich police on Dec. 6, 2006.

Haxall said the detectives were careful not to mention the gender of the child who had complained about being molested when they talked to Feeney.

"At first he denied anything had happened and then he said 'Oh, you must be talking about (the girl's name),'" Haxall said. "Suddenly, a lot made sense."

But defense attorney Donald Cosley of Arlington Heights said there was nothing about the state's case that made sense.

He said Feeney was never alone with any of the eight children he and his wife cared for and that none of the interior doors in their house had locks.

"The evidence will show you not only that these acts did not take place," Cosley told the jurors. "The evidence will show you that these acts could not have taken place."

Cosley said Feeney, who voluntarily surrendered his day-care license following his arrest, "has been living an unbelievable nightmare" since being charged.

From the witness stand Tuesday, the girl's grandmother described how the little girl described her "secrets" about "Mr. Mike" in a matter-of-fact voice.

The woman choked back tears as Haxall had her describe how the girl demonstrated what had happen to her in the office with Feeney and the girl's mother "lost it" and began to cry.

Testimony is expected to continue today.