(Lake County, IL) On Monday, August 29, 2022, a Lake County Judge sentenced a man to 16 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for sexually assaulting a woman in a Third Lake residence. Prosecutors secured a guilty verdict through a bench trial earlier this summer before Circuit Judge Patricia Fix.  

Andres Leyva, 31, was convicted on May 25, 2022, of one count of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault, a Class X felony, which he was sentenced to 10 years, and of one count of Criminal Sexual Assault, a Class 1 felony, which he was sentenced to six years. These sentences must be served consecutively.  

“This offender will spend a significant amount of time in custody because of the bravery of the survivor, the investigation by the Sheriff’s Department, and the hard work of our prosecutors and victim specialists,” State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said.  

Leyva was first charged with both counts on September 2020, after the Lake County Sheriff’s Department responded to and investigated a report of a victim who had been sexually assaulted. 

At the sentencing hearing before Judge Fix, Assistant State’s Attorneys John Brown and Ruth Lofthouse pointed out that Leyva had prior criminal activity and that he was a high-risk to re-offend if given a light sentence.  

The victim was also present at the hearing with her friends and family. The victim read her impact statement. The defendant chose not to make a statement. 

Prosecutors also emphasized how Leyva had not taken responsibility for his actions and said that this sentence could be used to deter others from committing the same crime, stating, that just because someone is intoxicated does not mean you get to sexually assault them.  

Leyva was held on a $300,000 bond in the Lake County Jail from the time of his arrest until the trial. After the verdict, Judge Fix revoked the ability to post bond. 

Under a new law, the SAFE-T Act, going into effect on January 1, 2023, defendants charged with criminal sexual assault (and other violent cases) will not be granted bond before trial if a judge orders them detained. 

The 16-year sentence is to be served at 85% and includes 709 days of credit.