Between autumn of 2014 and autumn of 2018, Benigo Cruz sexually assaulted a child he knew who was younger than 13 years old.
He now faces a minimum of 21 years in prison.
This week, a jury convicted the 36-year-old Aurora man on the following charges:
- Predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, Class X felony, 3 counts
- Criminal sexual assault, Class 1 felony
- Aggravated criminal sexual abuse, Class 2 felony, 4 counts
“The victim in this case survived a childhood of sexual abuse inflicted upon her by the defendant,” said Kane County Assistant State’s Attorneys Tyler Cox after the verdict. “She made the courageous decision to disclose the abuse to an adult, and because of her strength, this defendant will be held accountable for his own decisions.”
Kane County Judge Alice C. Tracy set Cruz’s next court appearance for 1:30 p.m. on June 24, 2022, in Courtroom 313 at the Kane County Judicial Center for motions and sentencing. Cruz faces a minimum sentence of 21 years of imprisonment in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
In addition to the prison term, Cruz must register for life as a sexual offender in accordance with the Illinois Sexual Offender Registration Act.
