Gurnee man admits molesting five boys

A Gurnee man is facing up to 30 years in prison after admitting today, Friday, that he molested five boys over the course of three years.

Ryan Reid, 30, of 1012 N. Boulevard View, pleaded guilty to criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse during a hearing before Circuit Judge Victoria Rossetti.

Assistant State's Attorney Mary Stanton said Reid was a family friend of three of the victims and molested the other two while they were visiting the children he knew.

All of the victims were between 11 and 14 years old when they were molested by Reid between June 2005 and February of this year.

Stanton said Reid confessed some of the incidents to a fellow jail inmate in September and the other inmate helped arrange a phone call between Reid and one of the victims.

Defense attorney Jed Stone said that he will present evidence at the sentencing hearing that Reid was himself repeatedly molested as a child.

"I think he is deeply ashamed of his conduct and genuinely remorseful," Stone said. "This case is a living human tragedy for everyone involved."

The incidents came to light in June when two of the victims told their mother about them and she called police.

Under the terms of his plea agreement with Stanton, Reid will be sentenced to at least eight years in prison but no more than 30, and will be on parole for the remainder of his life.

Rossetti scheduled a sentencing hearing for Jan. 8 and ordered that Reid remain in custody until that date.