‘Master manipulator’: Woodstock man found guilty of sexually assaulting girl

A 16-year-old girl testified Wednesday that when she was being sexually assaulted by a Woodstock man, she felt “disgusting.”

Alejandro Jose Barradas denied the accusations when he later took the stand in his defense at his trial in McHenry County court. Regardless, Barradas, 36, was convicted Thursday on three counts of criminal sexual assault of a person younger than 18, Class 1 felonies.

In closing arguments, Assistant State’s Attorney Maria Marek told jurors that Barradas “manipulated” the girl “to feed a perversion.”

Later in closings, prosecutor Margaret O’Brien told jurors that the girl has “no interest or motive ... to make this up.”

The verdict came in less than four hours after O’Brien wrapped up her arguments, saying, “He is a master manipulator who got away with it time and time again. ... He manipulates everyone. Don’t let him manipulate you.”

In graphic detail, the girl testified that Barradas, who has been in custody of the county jail since his arrest July 2, 2023, began assaulting her in 2021, when she was 13 and living in West Virginia. She said Barradas would tell her that if she told anyone she “would ruin his life,” that what he was doing “is normal,” and “he does this with other family members.” He also told her that the abuse is “a way to show you love someone,” the girl testified.

In West Virginia, the girl said she told her mother about the alleged abuse but was not believed, so she recanted. Prosecutors later said the lie was in her recantation. A therapist testified that it is normal for a child who has been sexually assaulted to recant accounts of abuse when they are not believed.

Barradas was convicted of sexually assaulting the girl between March and June 2023 in Woodstock, according to a criminal complaint in McHenry County court.

He also testified during his trial and said the girl has a history of lying and denied ever having any sexual contact with the girl.

However, he admitted that he “fondled” two other children when he was 12 and living in Florida. O’Brien countered during closing arguments that he more than “fondled” those children, and that one was 6 years old.

On the stand, he said that he had just moved to Florida from Venezuela and had to learn the English language. He was bullied, wanted to fit in and didn’t have a girlfriend. Barradas said other kids were talking about sex, and he didn’t think he was doing anything wrong, O’Brien said.

In closing arguments, his attorney, Assistant Public Defender Kim Messer, said that just because he admitted to “fondling” those two children, one of whom testified this week, does not mean he is guilty in this case.

In cross-examining the accuser in this case, Messer sought to poke holes in the girl’s testimony. She asked the girl about details that she provided during an interview at the Children’s Advocacy Center of McHenry County versus what she said Wednesday on the witness stand. To some questions, the girl answered, “I’m not sure.” She also acknowledged that she provided more details from the witness stand Wednesday than during the earlier interview.

The girl said that the last time Barradas assaulted her was June 22 or 23 of 2023, and that she told family members nine days later. She only spoke out after her mother said Barradas “better not be touching you.” The girl said she replied, “He does.” But in closing arguments, Messer said that on the dates in which the girl said was the last day of the assaults, Barradas was working and not with her.

“None of this happened,” Messer said, calling the girl’s testimony “repetitive and rehearsed ... unbelievable.”

Other testimony Wednesday came from a woman who was present when the girl made the accusation for which Barradas was charged. She said she took the girl to the hospital for an examination because she wanted to find proof of her allegation.

The girl was examined at Northwestern Medicine Woodstock Hospital by Kelly Klein, a sexual assault nurse examiner who reported the girl’s allegations to police and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

Klein testified to the graphic sexual details that the girl shared with her. The girl said that Barradas would start the encounters by asking whether she “wanted to cuddle,” Klein said.

Klein said the girl had an injury of about 2 centimeters to her genitals and that sexual contact could have been the cause, but “there is no way to tell.”

However, Klein also said the presence or lack of an injury does not determine whether someone was sexually assaulted. There are some victims who have been “brutally sexually assaulted” who have no injuries for various reasons, she said.

When the girl was on the stand, O’Brien asked her directly if she and her mother made up the allegations, to which the girl said no.

Barradas faces 12 to 45 years in prison when sentence June 11.