Hebron man gets 4 1/2 years in prison for child sex abuse, faces possible deportation

A Hebron man was sentenced to 4½ years in prison Thursday after pleading guilty to sexually abusing a child he knew.

Ivan Sanchez-Mercado, 33, pleaded guilty to aggravated criminal sexual assault, a Class 2 felony, according to a judgment order filed in McHenry County court. The charge to which he pleaded guilty was the sexual abuse of a 14-year-old, according to the complaint and indictment.

Sanchez-Mercado had been out of the county jail on a cash bond since 2021 and was taken into custody Thursday after entering his guilty plea. He is required to serve half his prison time followed by one year of mandatory supervised release, according to the judgment order. Judge Tiffany Davis told Sanchez-Mercado that at the end of his prison time, he could be civilly committed and classified as a sexually deviant or dangerous person.

In exchange for his guilty plea, six additional counts were dismissed.

Davis recommended in her order that Sanchez-Mercado receive treatment for alcohol and substance abuse disorder, as well as for being a sex offender, while in the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections. She also informed Sanchez-Mercado that the conviction could affect his immigration status and that he could be deported.