A Johnsburg man has been sentenced to 24 months of periodic imprisonment after pleading guilty in a case where he was charged with sexually abusing a child in Round Lake Beach.
Bruce E. Walker, 62, of Johnsburg, was charged in February 2020 with one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, a Class 2 felony, and one count of grooming, a Class 4 felony.
The Round Lake Beach Police Department obtained an arrest warrant for Walker on February 11 following an investigation.
The warrant said that Walker committed an act of sexual penetration with a minor between the age of 13 and 16 in May 2018.
The warrant also alleged Walker used an internet service and/or device to solicit the juvenile to commit a sex offense.
Walker was arrested on February 17, 2020, without incident at his workplace in the 2200 block of Pierce Drive in Spring Grove by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Warrants Team.
He was released from the Lake County Jail two days later after posting 10% of his $100,000 bond, court records show.
Walker entered into a negotiated plea deal with the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office earlier this month.
He pleaded guilty to aggravated criminal sexual abuse and prosecutors dismissed his second charge.
Lake County Judge Raymond Collins approved the plea deal on April 11 and sentenced Walker to 24 months of periodic imprisonment.
Walker was also sentenced to four years of probation, ordered to abide by an order of protection, not consume any alcohol or illegal drugs, be subject to a curfew and abide by other set conditions.
State records show Walker, who is a registered sex offender, has a prior conviction in Wisconsin for child pornography that he was convicted of when he was 42 years old.