Man Sentenced To Life In Prison For 2nd Predatory Sex Assault

KANE COUNTY, IL – A former Carpentersville man will spend the rest of his life in prison for sexually assaulting a child he knew. On Wednesday, a Kane County judge sentenced James E. Melvin, 40, to spend the rest of his natural life in prison after he found him guilty last December of predatory criminal sexual assault, Class X felony; and six counts of aggravated predatory criminal sexual abuse, Class 2 felony. Melvin waived his right to a jury trial, according to a news release from the Kane County State's Attorney's Office.

The sentence is mandatory because Melvin has multiple convictions for predatory criminal sexual assault, prosecutors said. The recent charges stem from a February 2009 sex assault where Melvin assaulted a child, who was younger than 13 years old, that he knew. The child immediately told her mother who called police, according to the news release.

Melvin, who most recently lived in Rockford, pleaded guilty in the case in 2009, but in 2015, the Illinois Appellate Court Second District ruled that the plea was improper, and returned the case to the trial court. Melvin was also convicted of predatory criminal sex assault in 1998 in Cook County.

Melvin is required to register for life as a sex offender.