Eduardo Torres-Franco faced six to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty earlier this month to molesting a 3-year-old girl.
But instead of appearing in a Rolling Meadows courtroom for sentencing Tuesday, the 39-year-old Palatine man skipped the hearing and likely the country.
"I can only assume he's in Mexico," Torres-Franco's private attorney, Steven Goldman, said afterward.
Cook County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Fecarotta issued a no-bail warrant for Torres-Franco's arrest and set a judgment date for Sept. 1, at which time bond he could be indicted on a bail jumping charge. Torres-Franco, of the 1700 block of Rose Street in Palatine, wasn't in custody because he previously posted 10 percent of his $100,000 bond.
On July 14, Torres-Franco pleaded guilty of criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse for crimes that took place between 1999 and 2001. Prospect Heights police said he admitted to molesting the 3-year-old daughter of a woman he dated at the time. The abuse occurred when Torres-Franco baby-sat the child, prosecutors said.
The victim came forward in February with claims of the abuse.
Goldman said he last spoke with Torres-Franco, who he said was in the U.S. illegally, during the guilty plea. He said he wasn't surprised his client fled.
"I didn't expect him here," Goldman said.
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