Man charged with raping S. Elgin teen

In mid-November, Juan C. Cabrera was supposed to pick a 16-year-old girl up from South Elgin High School and drive her to the doctor's office where her mother was waiting, police said.

Instead, police say Cabrera, now 30, took the girl back to a South Elgin room he was renting, sexually assaulted her and then drove her to see her mother.

The alleged attack took place at 5 p.m. Nov. 15 and the South Elgin girl reported it to police Dec. 28, said Sgt. Mike Doty. She sustained minor injuries in the attack, Doty added.

Cabrera had known the victim and her family for five years, Doty said.

Police arrested Cabrera in South Elgin Tuesday afternoon and say he confessed to the crime. Cabrera, 29 at the time of the attack, has been living in Elgin in the 10N500 block of Williamsburg Drive for about a month, police said.

Cabrera was charged with criminal sexual assault, a Class 1 felony, and aggravated criminal sexual abuse, a Class 2 felony. His bail was set Wednesday morning at $500,000 and he needs $50,000 to secure his release while the case is pending.

Doty declined to say why the girl waited more than a month to report the attack but encourages sex assault victims to notify police right away.

“The sooner they disclose the information to law enforcement or a counselor, the quicker we can get them assistance that's needed,” Doty said. “The true issue is we need to help them get the emotional support that's needed to cope with these situations.”

Cabrera's next court date is Jan. 28 at the Kane County Judicial Center. If found guilty of criminal sexual assault, he could spend between four and 15 years in prison or get up to four years probation.