Oswego man gets 20 years for sexually abusing Aurora child
An Oswego man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexually abusing a child younger than 13.
Kane County Judge D.J. Tegeler handed down the sentence Tuesday for Mark A. Hampton, 48, of the 600 block of Mansfield Way.
A jury convicted Hampton Oct. 6 of four counts of predatory criminal sexual abuse of a child. The charges alleged that he abused the girl, an Aurora resident whom he knew, between November 2015 and August 2017.
"Harsh sentences in child sex assault cases are necessary to serve as a deterrent because of the long-term emotional scars survivors suffer, most likely for the rest of their lives," Assistant Kane County State's Attorney Lori Schmidt, one of the prosecutors on the case, said in a news release. "Children are exceptionally vulnerable to sexual abuse, and its impact on them most likely will be profound. The most significant injury survivors will suffer is to their mental health. Even years of counseling might not undo the damage caused by child predators. Still, I hope this child can begin to heal and find a place of safety as she grows up,"
Hampton must serve at least 85% of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole, and he must register as a sex offender when released.
An Aurora woman also was charged in connection with the case, as authorities say she was present for, or aware of, Hampton's crimes. Destiny U. Johnson, 23, of the 1300 block of Monomoy Street, pleaded guilty Oct. 14 to permitting the sexual abuse of a child. She was sentenced to four years of probation and 28 days in jail, according to Kane County court records.
She originally was charged with sexual exploitation of a child under 13, predatory criminal sexual assault, and failure to report sexual abuse or assault.