Homeless man sentenced to 66 years in prison for sexually assaulting woman near Illinois Prairie Path

A homeless man found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman near the Illinois Prairie Path in 2018 has been sentenced to 66 years in prison, prosecutors said.

Robert Davison, 45, appeared at his sentencing hearing Monday in front of Judge Margaret O’Connell, who handed down the sentence.

On Jan. 25, following a three-day trial, a jury found Davison guilty of 12 counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault and one count of unlawful restraint, according to a DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office news release.

Davison was arrested on May 20, 2018. Bond was set at $750,000, and Davison has remained in custody since that time.

About 12:30 a.m. May 18, 2018, the Wheato police responded to a call of someone screaming for help near the PADS Shelter in Wheaton. Police found the victim with dirt on her face and scratches and cuts to her upper body, according to the release.

Authorities learned that Davison had approached the woman near the Prairie Path and demanded sex from her. After the woman declined Davison’s demand, he dragged her into a wooded area by her hair and sexually assaulted her before fleeing the area, according to the release.

At the sentencing hearing, the state proved that Davison sexually assaulted another homeless woman in Oak Park approximately 43 days prior to this case.

“Sexual assaults are degrading and among the most invasive crimes a victim can be forced to endure,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in the release. “Physically and emotionally, the damage caused by a sex crime can fester, leaving victims to suffer not only at the time of the assault but possibly for years to come.”

Davison will be required to serve 85% of his sentence before being eligible for parole.