A Harvard man was found guilty on Thursday of sexually assaulting a child under 13 after also being convicted earlier this year of sexually abusing a different child.
Jose S. Nova-Rivera, 37, of the 1000 block of 9th Street in Harvard, was charged in one case with six counts of criminal sexual assault and four counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.
In a second case, Nova-Rivera was charged with two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault and four counts of criminal sexual assault.
The Harvard Police Department arrested Nova-Rivera on January 30, 2020, after an arrest warrant was issued for him the day prior.
A criminal complaint filed in court alleged that Nova-Rivera committed a sex act on a female juvenile in 2015 and 2016.
In 2017 and 2018, Nova-Rivera allegedly sexually penetrated the child, according to the complaint.
Nova-Rivera was also accused of sexually assaulting a second child in 2017 and 2019.
Court records show that the victims were family relatives of Nova-Rivera.
One of the victims was under the age of 13 and the other was between 13-17 years old.
McHenry County Judge Michael Coppedge in April found Nova-Rivera guilty of two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a child, a Class 2 felony. Nova-Rivera was found not guilty on the other charges.
Coppedge, who was also presiding over the other case against Nova-Rivera, found the man guilty on Thursday of two counts of criminal sexual assault, a Class 1 felony, and two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, a Class 2 felony.
After Nova-Rivera’s first conviction, Coppedge sentenced the man in June to five years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, which will be served at 50%.
Nova-Rivera will be required to register as a sex offender for life.
He faces between eight and 30 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for his second conviction.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 7.
Nova-Rivera remains held in the McHenry County Jail without bond.