Convicted sex offender sentenced to 8 years in prison for sexual abuse of child in Wonder Lake

A man who has been listed as a registered sex offender since 2003 because of a child pornography conviction has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a child in Wonder Lake.

Matthew Vodnansky, 41, of the 100 block of Forest Avenue in Fox Lake, was convicted of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child younger than 13 and sentenced last week to eight years in prison. He is required to serve 85% of his prison term and, after his release, will remain on court supervision from three years to life, according to court records and a news release from the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office.

The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office began investigating a report of sexual abuse of a child in 2022. The “delayed” report was made to a school social worker, according to the release. The child reported being the victim of sexual abuse by Vodnansky about four years previously, according to the release. According to court documents, the abuse occurred in 2018, and the child said it occurred while Vodnansky believed the child to be asleep.

Vodnansky previously was convicted of possession of child pornography stemming from a 2002 case. Since then, he has violated terms of the sex offender registry multiple times for offenses including failing to register, failing to provide new addresses and providing a false home address when he was homeless, according to court records.