Round lake Beach sex offender not guilty of second offense

A previously-convicted sex offender from Round Lake Beach was acquitted Friday of molesting a 6-year-old girl.

A jury of six men and six women deliberated for about 11 hours across two days before finding Michael Molidor, 41, not guilty of predatory sexual assault of a child and aggravated criminal sexual abuse.

Lake County Assistant State's Attorney Brett Henne said Molidor was charged with molesting the girl on Feb. 24, 2009 in Molidor's home in the 1500 block of North Channel Drive.

Henne said the girl testified Molidor molested her while they were watching a movie on television in a bedroom of his house.

Molidor, who was arrested the following day, denied doing anything to the girl during his turn on the witness stand.

To bolster the case against Molidor, Henne said he wanted to present evidence of his prior convictions to the jury.

Molidor served a period of probation after a 1992 conviction for aggravated criminal sexual abuse for molesting a young girl, court records show.

He had also been convicted of failure to register as a sex offender four times, and faced a fifth charge in connection with his current case.

However, Associate Judge George Bridges had barred prosecutors from bringing up the prior convictions, saying they would be too prejudicial to Molidor's defense.

Following his acquittal on the child molesting charges, Molidor pleaded guilty to the outstanding failure to register charge.

Bridges ordered Molidor be held in jail until his Sept. 16 sentencing hearing on that charge, at which time he will face up to seven years in prison.