WOODSTOCK – Nearly five months after his father was sentenced to 20 years in prison, a former McHenry man received the same.
Steven M. Manson, 21, pleaded guilty on Thursday to four counts as part of a plea deal accepted by McHenry County Judge Joseph Condon.
Manson was sentenced to one year for aggravated driving under the influence, seven years each for two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, and five years for residential burglary. Each term is consecutive, meaning that his total sentence is 20 years.
However, with credit for time served and good behavior, Manson could be released in about nine years. He then must serve four years on probation, two of which will be on electronic monitoring.
Condon recommended enrollment in a GED program and also recognized that the crimes were committed as a result of addiction to alcohol and controlled substances.
Manson's DUI conviction was for a November 2007 incident in which Manson was arrested by Harvard police after driving drunk while his license already was suspended for a previous DUI.
The residential burglary conviction was for entering into a McHenry garage in June. The associated theft charges for stealing tools and GPS units were dropped as part of the plea.
With regard to the sexual abuse convictions, the same victim was involved in two incidents in February and September 2010. The girl was 13 at the time, and her mother went to police out of fear for her daughter's safety, court records show.
Numerous other misdemeanor charges as well as traffic offenses also were dropped as part of the plea deal.
In addition, a felony sexual assault charge from June was dropped. In that case, a 24-year-old woman said she had known Manson for a short time and was with him looking for scrap metal to sell. When they returned to his home, she said he forced sex on her.
In August, Steven M. Manson's father, Steven L. Manson, was sentenced to seven years in prison for aggravated intimidation and 13 years for aggravated driving under the influence. The intimidation charge was for leaving threatening messages on a McHenry County Sheriff's detective's phone after she refused to dismiss charges against his son.