Palatine man charged with sexual assault held on $50,000 cash bail

A Palatine man faces charges he sexually abused a young girl seven years ago.

Brian Rea, 34, was ordered held on $50,000 cash bail Tuesday on charges of predatory criminal sexual assault and aggravated kidnapping. If convicted of the most serious charge, he faces 12 to 90 years in prison.

Prosecutors say Rea told the girl's mother he was taking her shopping for Christmas presents sometime between Jan. 1, 2013, and Jan. 31, 2014. Instead, he took her to a vacant apartment where he sexually assaulted her, said Assistant Cook County State's Attorney Kristina Modesto.

In February 2020, the girl, who now is 15, told her mother about the assault, Modesto said. She also identified the apartment where prosecutors say the assault happened. Representatives for the apartment complex confirmed the apartment was vacant at the time, Modesto said.

Saying Rea "arranged to pick up the victim under false pretenses," Modesto argued he should be held without bail.

Cook County Judge Ellen Mandeltort denied Modesto's motion but ordered Rea post the entire $50,000 to be released from custody. She also ordered him to submit to electronic monitoring and have no unsupervised contact with anyone younger than 18.

Rea, who has a 2014 residential burglary conviction out of DuPage County, next appears in court on May 21.