Prosecutors alleged Tuesday that a convicted felon who lives in Crystal Lake sexually assaulted a 9-year-old child he knows several times over the course of three years.
Juan Miramontes, 41, is charged with four Class X felony counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child younger than 12 years, as well as being a felon in possession of a firearm, McHenry County Judge Cynthia Lamb said Tuesday at his initial court appearance, where she denied his pretrial release.
Should Miramontes be convicted on the Class X felonies, he could be sentenced six to 30 years in prison on each count, Lamb said.
Assistant State’s Attorney Garrett Miller said the girl provided authorities with an “incredibly realistic and consistent” story of the alleged assaults and described it in language a 9-year-old would use.
The girl also said Miramontes showed her a video of a woman performing oral sex on him and told her it was to teach her how to do it, Miller said. The girl identified places the alleged assaults took place, which investigators identified in Miramontes’ home, the prosecutor said.
The alleged victim “is a 9-year-old with no reason to lie,” Miller said.
Authorities said police also found a firearm under the side of the bed where Miramontes slept – a weapon that, because he is a felon, is illegal for him to have. Prosecutors said he has a 2010 Cook County conviction for home invasion causing violent injuries against a person with a firearm, armed robbery with a firearm, and unlawful restraint. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Miramontes’ attorney, Lindsay Tobias, said he denies the sexual assault allegations and that there are reasons for the child to lie. She also said there are “several” contradictions in the story.
Tobias also said Miramontes has no criminal history for the last 10 years, works as a plumber and is a “productive citizen” who had family in the courtroom supporting him.
She also said 9-year-old children can be quite “tech savvy” and that the girl could have found the sexually explicit video on her own.
But Miller said the child searching for and finding the video on her own is “incredibly unlikely” and that showing it to her was Miramontes’ way of grooming her.
Lamb agreed with the prosecution that Miramontes is a danger to the child, as well as the community, and ordered him detained in county jail pretrial.
The judge noted graphic details in the police report, including Miramontes allegedly telling the girl the assaults were his way of “preparing her for when she got older.” He abused her several times over multiple years in his bedroom, bathroom and basement and used “several measures to obtain compliance, including physical force and showing her explicit” videos and sending her sexual emojis, Lamb said.
Miramontes’ next court date is April 28.