Lake County jury convicts 55-year-old man on 17 counts of sexual assault

A Lake County jury found a 55-year-old man guilty on 17 counts of criminal sexual assault Thursday.

Michael Main of Libertyville faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 80 years, of which he must serve 85%, according to a release issued Friday by the Lake County state's attorney's office.

Main was charged in 2016 after a person told Libertyville police officers that they had been sexually assaulted by Main over the course of six years.

During the trial this week, experts explained how the victim's account of the assaults aligned with the physical evidence collected by investigators, the prosecutor's office said.

"The survivor took that courageous step to come forward, and their faith in the system paid off yesterday," State's Attorney Eric Rinehart said.

Rinehart said his office's victim support professionals have been with the survivor throughout and will continue to offer them support.

Aside from delays associated with the pandemic, one reason the case took so long to go to trial was because Main changed private attorneys multiple times before eventually being represented by the public defender's office, said Steve Spagnolo, spokesman for the state's attorney's office.

Main will appear in court for a presentencing hearing Sept. 20.