Carpentersville man gets six years in rape case

A Carpentersville man was sentenced Friday to six years in prison -- the minimum under state law -- for the aggravated criminal sexual assault of a teenage girl in 2006.

Daniel Ceron-Jiminez, 25, of the 0-99 block of Sycamore Avenue, also was sentenced to a four-year term for criminal sexual assault involving the same victim. That term will run at the same time as the longer sentence.

Kane County Judge Timothy Sheldon said he took into account Ceron-Jiminez's "young age," lack of prior criminal history, his lack of mental health problems, the fact that he has two young children and the relatively minimal physical injury to the victim when handing down the minimum term.

Ceron-Jiminez, who had faced up to 30 years in prison, was living in the same household as the victim at the time of the assault.

The girl, then 16 years old, and her brother told police Ceron-Jiminez repeatedly said he wanted to have sex with her, and that if she didn't agree, he would force it upon her.

On May 10, 2006, while she was sleeping, he pulled her clothes off and raped her, authorities said. She fought him off, went to a hospital for treatment and called police.

Ceron-Jiminez, who has been in custody since May 2006, maintained his innocence Friday while addressing the judge.

"I have never mistreated any woman," he said. "I never, ever, never forced anybody to have sex with me."

He said he knew he had made mistakes in life and "somehow offended God," but drew inspiration from the Bible's Old Testament account of Joseph, an imprisoned slave who rose to become a ruler.

"He was in some kind of situation just like me," Ceron-Jiminez said.

Assistant State's Attorney Elizabeth Lovig was not impressed with his speech, nor a six page pre-sentencing statement he gave to the court.

"I see no remorse or insight into his crime," she told the judge, pointing out that Ceron-Jiminez wrote that the victim had annoyed him, wanted him to make love to her and that her tears while testifying "shined like gold" but were fake.

Lovig, who sought a 10-year prison term, declined to comment after the sentencing.