Woodstock man pleads guilty to sexually abusing child, gets 6-year prison term

A Woodstock man pleaded guilty Friday to aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a child younger than 13, was sentenced to six years in prison and is required to register as a sex offender for life.

Robert P. Klein, 21, initially was charged with grooming, kidnapping and contributing to the criminal delinquency of a minor, according to McHenry County court records.

The remaining charges were dismissed in exchange for his guilty plea to the Class 2 felony, which typically can carry a prison term of three to seven years. The charge also is probational.

Klein is required to serve at least half of his prison term and will receive two days of credit for time spent in the county jail. He will be on mandatory supervised release for 12 months after serving his prison time, according to the sentencing orders.

The charges, filed one year ago Friday, alleged that Klein “secretly confined” a child without the consent of the child’s parent and gave the child marijuana, according to the criminal complaint.

The child’s mother filed a missing child report with city of McHenry police, who found information on the child’s Facebook page that led them to Klein’s home in McHenry.

There, Klein and the missing child were found, police said at the time of the charges.

Klein told police that he met the child April 10, 2023, on the dating app Bumble, where they communicated before switching their interaction to Instagram.

Police then notified the child’s mom and took custody of both Klein and the child, police said.