Former Carpentersville man sentenced to life in prison for raping 3 children

A former Carpentersville man has been sentenced to life in prison for repeatedly sexually assaulting three children younger than 13, prosecutors said.

Robert E. Craig, 49, most recently of Hampshire, was convicted Feb. 9 of 11 counts of predatory criminal sexual assault and six counts criminal sexual abuse, according to the Kane County state's attorney's office. Circuit Judge John Barsanti sentenced him Wednesday to 11 life terms and six 3-year terms, all to be served concurrently.

Assistant state's attorneys Lori Schmidt and Reagan McGuire presented evidence at trial that Craig sexually assaulted the three victims multiple times in Carpentersville between 1999 and 2010, prosecutors said.

The Illinois Department of Child and Family Services was alerted after one of the victims told a school counselor in 2014 that she had been sexually assaulted by Craig, prosecutors said.

"The public has no tolerance for those who harm the most vulnerable among us," State's Attorney Joe McMahon said. "By demanding mandatory life prison sentences for those who commit such hideous crimes, the General Assembly has given its assurance that evil people like Robert Craig can no longer prey on children."

Craig is not eligible for parole.