Oswego man sentenced to 17 years for child sexual assault

An Oswego man has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for sexually assaulting a child.

Jose Juarez-Hernandez, 69, was sentenced on Oct. 25 for two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child and five counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, according to a news release from Kendall County State’s Attorney Eric Weis. Kendall County Circuit Court Judge Robert Pilmer handed down the sentence.

Juarez-Hernandez was found guilty of the charges following a bench trial in April. Under Illinois law, he must serve about 13.5 years in prison before being eligible for mandatory supervised release, according to the release.

Upon release, he must register as a sex offender. Charges against Juarez-Hernandez were filed following an investigation in July 2020.

The victim, now an adult, reported to the Plano Police Department that Juarez-Hernandez had been sexually assaulting and sexually abusing them from the ages of five to 13, according to the release.

Weis prosecuted the case. According to the release, the victim contacted police after seeking therapy for trauma caused by the abuse.

Juarez-Hernandez was previously convicted of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of another child, according to the release. That victim testified at the 2024 trial.

“The 17-year prison sentence will ensure that this offender will not be able to harm another child,” Weis said in the release.

Weis commended the hard work of the Plano Police Department and the Kendall County Child Advocacy Center on their investigation of this case and praised the victim for his courage to come forward.