120 years in prison for abduction, rape of 3-year-old Mundelein girl
Saying a video of the crime contains things that "cannot be unseen and sounds that cannot be unheard," a Lake County judge on Wednesday sentenced a Chicago man to 120 years in prison for kidnapping and recording himself sexually assaulting a 3-year-old Mundelein girl in 2013.
Jose Reyes, 32, received four consecutive 30-year prison terms for aggravated kidnapping, predatory criminal sexual assault, and two counts of production of child pornography under the sentence handed down by Lake County Judge Mark Levitt.
Reyes must serve 85 percent of that time before he's eligible for parole.
"The depths of your depravity are unmatchable," Levitt told him during Wednesday's sentencing heading.
Reyes earlier asked for mercy, saying he "found God" while in jail awaiting trial.
"I know I'm not perfect," he said. "I'm still young and I'm not perfect."
Levitt found Reyes guilty Nov. 3 on charges from the Sept. 30, 2013, abduction outside the Mundelein apartment complex where the girl lived.
Authorities said Reyes first approached the child and her 9-year-old sister with lollipops near the entrance of the complex, but the girls refused the candy. Reyes left in his car, drove around the complex, then returned and grabbed the younger girl, buckled her in the front seat and drove off while her sister screamed for help, authorities said.
Video played at the trial shows Reyes molesting the girl in the car before dropping her off about 30 minutes later in a nearby parking lot. She was taken to hospital, where an examination determined she had been raped, authorities said.
Police arrested Reyes four days later at his Libertyville workplace, after identifying his car through surveillance video showing the girl being dropped off.
Assistant Lake County State's Attorney Fred Day - who asked Reyes be sentenced to 100 years in prison - said the victim, her sister, her family and the community at large were all scarred by Reyes.
"The act itself is beyond description," Day said. "The sentence should keep Jose Reyes away from children for as long as possible, keep the family safe from Jose Reyes, and keep the people of Mundelein safe."
Defense attorney Katharine Hatch hoped the judge would impose a minimum sentence because Reyes had previously served two tours of duty overseas in the military.
"We are just asking you to take mercy on him," Hatch said.