Carol Stream man charged with 1999 child sex assault

A DuPage County grand jury has indicted a Carol Stream man accused of sexually preying on the daughter of a family friend more than 10 years ago.

Patrick M. Wallace, 40, of the 1100 block of Orangery Court, was charged with four counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child and one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, according to the indictment released Friday.

Authorities initially said Wallace, who was arrested in January, had abused the victim on an ongoing basis for 10 years. But this week’s indictment alleges instances of abuse on just two occasions, on Nov. 6, 1999, and Nov. 5, 2002. Prosecutors said Wallace’s accuser, now 15, recently came forward.

Assistant State’s Attorney Demetri Demopoulos said authorities were able to charge Wallace because the law at the time of the alleged offenses left the statute of limitations open until a year after a victim’s 18th birthday. The statute has since been extended to 20 years, he said.

Wallace remained in the county jail Friday afternoon on $500,000 bail. He faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted of the most serious charge, prosecutors said. His next court date is Monday before DuPage Judge George Bakalis.