McHenry man sentenced to seven years in prison on sex abuse charge

WOODSTOCK – A McHenry County judge sentenced a McHenry man to seven years in prison after he admitted to having sexual contact with a minor girl who was at least five years younger than him.

Michael R. Rice, 26, of the 4500 block of Prairie Avenue, pleaded guilty in McHenry County Court before Judge Sharon Prather to aggravated criminal sexual abuse, a Class 2 felony. A Class 2 felony is punishable by three to seven years in prison, or seven to 14 years in prison if extended term sentencing were to apply.

In exchange for pleading guilty, Rice will be sentenced to seven years in prison with two years of mandatory supervised release.

Rice also will receive credit for his time served in the McHenry County Jail since July 2015.

The sentence will be served concurrently with one imposed by Lake County on residential burglary charges. Other McHenry County misdemeanors against Rice were dismissed by the state's attorney's office, and other pending felony matters were terminated unsatisfactorily.

Assistant State's Attorney Sharyl Eisenstein said that in September 2013, Rice had sexual contact with the victim, who at the time of the offense was 15 years old. Rice was 23 years old at the time of the offense, and he previously admitted to authorities he knew how old she was, Eisenstein said.