A convicted felon who attempted to kidnap a 12-year-old girl 10 years ago was sentenced Tuesday to 12 years in prison for sexually assaulting a woman while she slept in 2016.
Shauntaine Curry, 28, of Harvard, was found guilty of aggravated criminal sexual assault following a bench trial in October in McHenry County court.
At his sentencing, Assistant State’s Attorney Sharyl Eisenstein read a letter to Judge James Cowlin written by the victim, who was 18 when the assault happened.
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She wrote that since the assault, which took place the morning of July 25, 2016, in the bedroom of her Harvard home, she “can barely sleep at night,” is afraid to be alone and trusts no one.
Authorities said Curry, who knew the family and let himself into their home that morning when no one answered the door, was apprehended blocks away.
During the sentencing, Chicago police Detective Kevin Cole, who investigated the attempted kidnapping in Chicago in 2008, said Curry told authorities that when he put the 12-year-old girl in a headlock and dragged her into an alley, he intended to rape her.
He pleaded guilty to aggravated kidnapping of a child less than 13 in 2009 and was sentenced to six years in prison, according to Cook County records.
He was released early in 2013 but returned to prison the next day after violating parole, Eisenstein said.
In asking for 20 years in prison, Eisenstein noted that Curry contacted the victim in this case repeatedly, asking her not to press charges.
She called his actions “alarming.”
Assistant Public Defender Kim Messer asked for leniency, saying Curry’s childhood was difficult, he was physically abused by a relative and from ages 9 to 18 lived in several foster homes.
“He had no guidance,” she said.
Curry apologized to his victim, who sat quietly in the courtroom.
Before handing down the sentence, Cowlin told Curry his actions were “outrageous” and “abhorrent.”
Curry also faces up to natural life of mandatory supervision. He will also have to continue to register as a sex offender. He was on the sex offender’s registry at the time of the 2016 offense.
Amanda Marrazzo is a freelance reporter.