A Lake in the Hills man has been sentenced to 12 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for repeatedly sexually assaulting a child under the age of 13 more than 15 years ago in Crystal Lake, authorities said.
Charles R. Sprague, 70, of Lake in the Hills, was sentenced to a 12-year prison sentence on Wednesday after pleading guilty to a Class X felony charge of Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault, said McHenry County State’s Attorney Randi L. Freese.
The sentence was imposed by McHenry County Judge Tiffany Davis pursuant to a negotiated plea agreement.
Court records show two additional counts of predatory criminal sexual assault, a Class 1 felony count of criminal sexual abuse, and two Class 2 charges of aggravated criminal sexual abuse were dropped in exchange for the plea deal.
Pursuant to Illinois Truth-in-Sentencing laws, Freese said Sprague is required to serve a minimum of 85% of his prison sentence before becoming eligible for release.
Sprague will be subject to a term of Mandatory Supervised Release ranging from three years to natural life upon his release from prison, Freese said.
He is also required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.
Freese said the conviction stems from a delayed report of sexual abuse that occurred in McHenry County between 2007 and 2010.
In 2025, the Crystal Lake Police Department received information from an out-of-state law enforcement agency regarding allegations of childhood sexual abuse.
A joint investigation conducted by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office in Florida and the Crystal Lake Police Department revealed that Sprague sexually abused the victim while the victim was under the age of thirteen and resided in Crystal Lake.
Court records also show the dropped charges against Sprague included incidents that took place between 2005 and 2006 and 2010 through 2013.
Freese commended the victim for the courage it took to come forward years after the abuse occurred.
“The strength and courage demonstrated by this victim in reporting these crimes cannot be overstated,” Freese said. “Experience has shown that for many survivors of childhood sexual abuse, coming forward is an incredibly difficult and deeply personal decision.”
She added, “By speaking up, this victim helped ensure accountability and helped bring justice in a case that otherwise may have remained hidden. Our office stands with survivors, and we want victims to know that no matter how much time has passed, we will pursue justice and prosecute these cases to the fullest extent that both the law and the evidence allow.”
Freese also thanked Detective Kevin Tietz and the members of the Crystal Lake Police Department, and investigators from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.