A judge sentenced a Harvard man to six years in prison for sexually assaulting a child over a seven-year span and also attempting to possess child pornography.
Francisco Hernandez-Ramos, 47, of Harvard, was charged in August 2021 with criminal sexual assault of a child, two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a child and possession of child pornography.
A victim came forward on August 6, 2021, to report that she had been sexually assaulted by Hernandez-Ramos, prosecutors said.
The girl, who was 17 years old at the time she made the report with the Harvard Police Department, reported that the abuse began when she was 10 years old.
The most recent it occurred was in Harvard the day prior to her making the report.
An investigation uncovered that the assaults occurred in multiple states over the seven-year period, prosecutors said.
Hernandez-Ramos admitted to the investigating officers that he committed the sexual assaults.
A search of Hernandez-Ramos’s cell phone revealed he also possessed images of child pornography, prosecutors said.
Hernandez-Ramos entered into a negotiated plea deal with the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office on Wednesday, court records show.
He pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated criminal sexual assault, a Class 1 felony, and one count of attempted possession of child pornography, a Class 3 felony.
Prosecutors dismissed the rest of his charges in exchange for his plea.
McHenry County Judge Michael Coppedge approved the plea deal and sentenced Hernandez-Ramos to four years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the sexual assault charge and two years for the child pornography charge.
Hernandez-Ramos will be required to serve 85% of his first sentence and 50% of his second sentence. The sentences will be served consecutively.
He will also be required to pay over $2,800 in court fines and fees.
Hernandez-Ramos remains held in the McHenry County Jail awaiting transfer to a state prison.