Sugar Grove man guilty of 2nd child sex assault, faces life in prison
A Sugar Grove man has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a second victim over a three-year span and now faces essentially a life prison term of at least 96 years.
Kane County Judge D.J. Tegeler found Noel F. Buhay, 51, guilty Tuesday of eight counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child under 13 and two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a victim he knew.
Buhay, of the 1100 block of Dorr Road, waived his right to a jury trial.
Prosecutors presented evidence that between December 2005 and December 2008, Buhay sexually assaulted the victim who was under 13 and whom Buhay knew. Buhay faces a minimum prison term of 51 years when sentenced at his next court date Jan. 25.
That sentence would be served consecutive to, or after, Buhay completes a 45-year sentence he is serving for a March 17, 2017, conviction for three counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child he knew between January 2004 and May 2004.
Buhay must register for life as a sex offender as part of any sentence.
"Noel Buhay is a child predator who has exploited young people who should have been able to trust him," said State's Attorney Joe McMahon. "Both of these victims played important roles in this defendant being found guilty in that they truthfully told their story and trusted the criminal justice system to work for them. This conviction assures that Noel Buhay will never again be able to harm children."
The victim in the first case sued Buhay for damages and was awarded $4 million.