A Canadian man, who was on McHenry County’s top 10 most wanted list, was sentenced to 134 years in prison for sexually assaulting and abusing two children over the span of 13 years.
Robert J. Gould, 57, of Nova Scotia, Canada, was charged in August 2017 with 10 counts of predatory criminal sexual assault, three counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, seven counts of criminal sexual assault of a juvenile family member and criminal sexual assault.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office said in 2017 that they began investigating Gould after Canadian authorities contacted them with information about allegations against the man.
McHenry County Sheriff’s Office investigators worked with the Halifax Regional Police in Nova Scotia to conduct a criminal investigation.
Court records show Gould sexually assaulted and abused two children over the span of approximately 13 years, dating back to 2001 until around 2014.
Investigators made contact with Gould in August 2017 when he was visiting the Wheeling area.
Investigators later obtained warrants for the man and placed him on the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office’s top 10 most wanted list.
Gould was detained by Canadian authorities and was later extradited to the United States.
Gould arrived with the United States Marshal’s Service and Massachusetts State Police at the Logan International Airport in Boston in September 2017.
He was transported to the McHenry County Jail and arrived in October 2017.
The sheriff’s office said Gould had been living in Island Lake and unincorporated Woodstock when he committed the crimes against the two victims.
Gould had been free on bond after posting 10% of his $500,000 bond months after his arrest.
A jury in November returned guilty verdicts for all charges against him.
His bond was revoked and he was taken into the custody of the McHenry County Jail following the trial.
McHenry County Judge Michael Coppedge sentenced Gould on Friday to four to eight years for each of the 20 charges he was convicted of.
The combined sentence was 134 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Gould was also ordered to pay over $12,500 in court fines and fees and over $6,700 in restitution.