Dixon sex offender appealing his 12-year sentence, judge’s refusal to acquit

DIXON – A Dixon man sentenced to 12 years in prison for sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl is appealing his sentence, along with the judge’s refusal to acquit him, and her decision not to grant him a new trial.

A Lee County jury found Gonzalo Trevino Jr., 36, guilty on April 18, the second day of his trial for predatory criminal sexual assault of a child.

Trevino, who is in Danville Correctional Center, must serve 85% of the sentence, or nine years, before being eligible for parole.

He could have been sentenced to up to 60 years for the crime, which happened in January 2020.

Trevino, who was sentenced June 6, argued before sentencing for an acquittal or to be granted a new trial; both motions were denied. After he was sentenced, he sought to have the term reconsidered, which Judge Jacquelyn Ackert also denied.

He has since notified the court of his intent to appeal all three of Ackert’s denials. An attorney from the Appellate Defender’s Office in Springfield will represent him.

Lee County Court has until Aug. 22 to provide the appellate court with the case records, then the appellate defender has 35 days to file the appeal brief, the state has 35 days after that to respond, and the appellate defender has 14 days after that to file a final response, which takes the initial process to at least early November.

Trevino was charged July 31, 2020, with predatory sexual assault of a child, which was punishable by three years to life, with a requirement that 85% be served before he was eligible for probation.

He also was charged with aggravated criminal sexual abuse, which was punishable by three to seven years.

It took Trevino until early September to hire an attorney, and he pleaded not guilty on Sept. 8, 2020. On Sept. 11, after failing to get a bond reduction, he posted $15,000 of his $150,000 bail and was released.

The case proceeded until March 29 of this year, heating up when State’s Attorney Charley Boonstra filed an amended complaint that changed the punishment for predatory assault to 6 to 60 years at 85% served, and made the punishment for the sexual abuse something Trevino could not get probation for unless he underwent a psycho-sexual evaluation.

Trevino pleaded not guilty to the amended charges on April 3, and rejected a plea agreement offered by the state.

On April 17, Boonstra dropped the abuse charge in another attempt to reach a plea agreement. Trevino rejected that offer as well and pleaded not guilty to the remaining charge of predatory sexual assault, opting to proceed to the jury trial, where he was was convicted.