Fox Lake man sentenced to prison for sexually assaulting child

A Fox Lake man has been sentenced to 7½ years in prison after admitting he sexually molested a child under the age of 13, McHenry County authorities announced Tuesday.

Austin M. Billa, 28, pleaded guilty to predatory criminal sexual assault of a child on Dec. 10, according to the McHenry County State's Attorney's office. He was sentenced Friday and must serve 85 percent of the sentence before he's eligible for parole, officials said.

Authorities said Billa assaulted the victim between July 2013 and July 2014. As part of his plea agreement in December, prosecutors dismissed eight additional counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and one count of predatory criminal sexual assault, according to court records.

The investigation was led by the Lake in the Hills Police Department.