15 years in prison for man who assaulted, abused girls he knew

A 73-year-old Lake in the Hills man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after admitting to sexually assaulting and abusing three girls he knew.

Edgar A. Arana had two pending cases alleging he sexually assaulted and abused minors - the girls were younger than 13 - and that he possessed child pornography.

Arana was arrested in late 2016 and charged with six counts of predatory criminal sexual assault. He was accused of assaulting one girl on several occasions, including a Dec. 17, 2016 attack at a Woodstock movie theater.

Arana was arrested in March 2017 on additional charges of aggravated criminal sexual abuse stemming from a June 2011 attack, according to court records. And in August 2017, while he was free on bond, he was charged with felony child pornography possession.

Monday, Arana pleaded guilty to one count of predatory criminal sexual assault in September 2016, and aggravated sexual abuse of two girls in 2008 and 2011. The plea agreement was accepted by Judge Sharon Prather, records show.

Prosecutors dismissed the remaining five counts of predatory criminal sexual assault from the 2016 case, and the child pornography charges. Arana faced 30 to 180 years in prison in the 2016 case if convicted on all counts.

He was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the 2016 case and five years in prison for sexual abuse in the 2017 case, according to McHenry County court records. The sentences are to be served consecutively, or one after another.

Under state law, Arana must serve 85 percent of the 10-year sentence and must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. His five-year sentence can be cut in half for good behavior.

McHenry County Assistant State's Attorney Sharyl Eisenstein said the victims and their family members were supportive of the plea agreement and prison term.

Arana's defense attorney, Kenneth Alpert, declined to comment.