Lombard man gets 3 years in prison for abusing girl

Two contrasting portraits of Walter A. Rinebold were painted Monday in a DuPage County courtroom.

But for one infraction, the 55-year-old Lombard man's defense attorneys argued, he led a law-abiding life and worked hard to support his family. It was what he did May 21, 2006, however, that sparked a little girl's outcry, divided a family and landed him in prison.

Rinebold was sentenced Monday to three years in prison for inappropriately touching a 9-year-old girl in his care as she slept in the basement of his Lombard home. Rinebold denied the allegations, but a DuPage County jury in March convicted him of three counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault. He faced probation or three to seven years in prison.

In an emotional plea, Rinebold sought leniency. He is the sole supporter of his two youngest children, ages 13 and 10, whose mother recently died.

"They need my care now more than ever," he told DuPage Circuit Judge John Kinsella. "My not being with them terrifies me."

The charges divided members of his family, who sat on opposite sides of the DuPage County courtroom. Some believe his innocence; others stood behind his young accuser.

"I understand other family members don't believe it happened," Kinsella said, "but the jury believed it happened and this court believes it happened."

He added: "I know (prison) imposes a hardship on your children, who have already endured enough. However, I am sentencing you for the crime that the jury found you guilty of, and that crime is despicable."

The girl testified during the three-day March trial that Rinebold began to inappropriately touch her that night, three years ago, but she said he stopped when her father came into the room.

"He said, 'This is how we do things around here,'" she testified in March.

The defense team, Jeffrey Kendall and Joseph Solon Jr., argued it was a weak police investigation that lacked physical evidence, such as DNA, or a confession. They attacked the time frame and accused police of asking the child suggestive questions.

Prosecutors countered the girl's testimony was consistent with her 2006 videotaped police interview, which jurors watched in court during the trial. Though probation officials who evaluated Rinebold found he poses a low risk for re-offending, prosecutors argued the crime calls out for the maximum punishment.

"This case is about the victim," prosecutor Michael Pawl said. "Fortunately, this little girl doesn't suffer long-term physical injuries. But the psychological and emotional injuries will last a lifetime. It's a lifetime sentence for her, imposed by someone she previously looked up to and trusted."