A jury has convicted a 25-year-old Elgin man of sexually abusing a juvenile family member for over two years beginning in April 2022.
Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie L. Mosser announced yesterday Juan Pop-Pana was found guilty of Criminal Sexual Assault, a Class 1 felony; Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse of a Child, a Class 2 felony; and Intimidation, a Class 3 felony.
According to prosecutors, between April 2022 and June 2024 Pop-Pana sexually abused the victim, who was a family member under the age of 18, multiple times and then threatened the victim with having her mother harmed as well as being kicked out of the house if she told anyone what he had done.
Judge Camargo set Pop-Pana’s next court appearance for October 30, 2025 at 1:30pm, in Courtroom 311 at the Kane County Judicial Center for motions and sentencing. Pop-Pana faces a minimum sentence of 7 years of imprisonment in the Illinois Department of Corrections. In addition to the prison term, Pop-Pana must register for life as a sexual offender in accordance with the Illinois Sexual Offender Registration Act. Pop-Pana remains in custody at the Kane County jail.
“The defendant in this case took advantage of the victim’s vulnerability of being in a new country, not speaking the language, and knowing no one else here other than the defendant, her caregiver,” Assistant State’s Attorneys Morgan Wilkinson said. “The defendant’s repeated conduct will forever change the victim’s life, but her bravery in facing her abuser in court got her the justice she deserves. This verdict would not have been possible without the courage of the victim and the dedication of the Child Advocacy Center’s Multidisciplinary Team, including Investigator Dave Smith, DCFS Investigator Aaron Villasenor, Advocate Flor Rodriguez, and Forensic Interviewer Kasandra Osorio.”
