Sex offender faces life behind bars

A convicted child molester imprisoned for all but three months since 1996 now faces the prospect of life behind bars after a McHenry County jury ruled him a sexually violent person Wednesday.

Jurors deliberated about 45 minutes before reaching the verdict, which allows authorities to hold George K. Martin indefinitely until they believe he no longer is a threat.

Martin, 30, will remain in the custody of the Illinois Department of Human Services until an upcoming court hearing to determine whether he needs to be placed in a secure facility or can be released for outpatient treatment.

The former Crystal Lake man was scheduled to be released from prison in August 2006 after serving part of an eight-year sentence for molesting a 5-year-old girl.

The verdict ended a two-day trial in which jurors heard from just two witnesses, both psychologists testifying on behalf of the state.

Each told jurors they believed Martin, who's been found guilty of molesting three young girls since 1991, probably would commit another sex crime if allowed free.

Martin's lawyer, however, argued Wednesday that the psychologists based their findings on tests that were too complicated for someone with his client's limited mental capabilities.

"He has an IQ of 75 and reading level of a fourthgrader," attorney David Giesinger said. "It's questionable what he understood when he was taking those tests."