N. Aurora man gets life for assaulting 2 girls

A North Aurora man convicted of sexually assaulting two young girls was sentenced Wednesday to spend the rest of his life in prison.

Charles E. Granter, 64, faced a mandatory life sentence after his July conviction of two counts each of predatory criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse. Granter was found guilty after a bench trial in front of Kane County Associate Judge Allen M. Anderson, who handed down Wednesday's sentence.

Prosecutors said Granter had sexual contact with the girls, who were acquaintances and both younger than 13, separately. One girl was assaulted over a period of nearly two years, from May 2005 to April 2007; the other on March 16, 2007, according to court documents.

Granter was acquitted of four counts of abuse and assault charges that alleged similar activity involving the same victims.

According to the state's attorney's office, he was sentenced to mandatory life for each of the assault charges, a Class X felony, and four years in prison for each Class 2 felony abuse charge. There was one count of each charge for each victim, authorities said.

Granter has been in the county jail since his conviction.