A Gurnee man who pleaded guilty to the sexual abuse of a 7-year-old girl was sentenced to 16 years in prison Tuesday in Lake County Circuit Court.
Nyasha Mbawa, 21, had also admitted to abusing a 9-year-old girl in a statement to police, but under a negotiated deal, he pleaded guilty to one count of predatory criminal sexual abuse involving the 7-year-old in a Grandwood Park apartment complex.
Additional charges were dropped in exchange for the guilty plea, which called for a sentencing range between 12 and 30 years.
Assistant Lake County State’s Attorney John Brown had asked for a term of 26 years, while defense attorney Jed Stone sought the minimum 12 years.
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Judge James Booras handed down the 16-year sentence after reviewing a pre-sentencing report, a sex offender evaluation and arguments from both sides.
Mbawa must serve a mandatory term of supervised release ranging from four years to life after he is released. He also must register as a sexual predator for the rest of his life.
In saying he was “appalled” by the case, Booras explained that he had to balance the need to punish Mbawa, protect society and deter others with individual circumstances in Mbawa’s life. The judge noted that Mbawa claimed through his attorney that he was sexually abused by a close family friend when he was 8 years old.
Mbawa apologized to the victims, their families, the court and his family in a short statement prior to being sentenced. He also asked for mercy, saying he hoped for a “second chance” to receive treatment, “get home and make something of myself.”
Stone asked that Booras recommend a prison with sex offender treatment such as the state’s Big Muddy facility in Jefferson County, and Booras granted that recommendation.
In arguing for a stiffer sentence, Brown noted that a sex offender evaluation listed Mbawa as a “high risk” to reoffend, that he could not compensate the victims for the psychological damage suffered by his actions and that he was on felony probation for burglary at the time of his arrest in July 2013.
Stone said Mbawa was a young man who carried the secret of his own abuse for years, and was in a “regressed” state when the offenses occurred. Stone also noted that the girls voluntarily went to Mbawa’s apartment and that he stopped answering the door after feeling “morally” guilty. Stone stressed he was not trying to shift the blame to the victims, but said those actions separated Mbawa from someone prowling for children near schools and parks.
According to a handwritten statement made to police by Mbawa and interviews with the victims, authorities said the abuse consisted of direct sexual contact, including oral sex, while he would play games with the girls in his apartment.
In July, 2013, Mbawa was arrested by Lake County Sheriff’s deputies and charged with several counts of predatory criminal sexual assault against a child. Additional counts were added after an investigation led to the second victim.
Mbawa has been held in Lake County Jail without bail, and faced a possible sentence of natural life in prison before accepting the plea deal. Mbawa will be given credit toward his prison sentence, which is to be served at 85 percent, for the 671 days he has spent in Lake County Jail since his arrest.
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