Mom's Boyfriend Traded Phone Cards for Sex with Underage Girl

WHEATON —  Anthony Pegues, 44, of Myrtle, MI, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for having sex with the minor child of his former girlfriend, according to an announcement Tuesday by the DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert B. Berlin. 

On Nov. 26, Pegues entered a blind plea of guilty to two counts of Criminal Sexual Assault, a Class 1 Felony, in front of DuPage County Judge John Kinsella, who handed down Tuesday's sentence, according to the DuPage County State's Attorney press release.

Pegues was charged with having sex with the young girl on several occasions between March and December 2011 at the home she shares with her mother in Aurora. 

In exchange for sex, Pegues would give the girl presents including money, phone cards and clothing, according to the news release. 

The assaults became known when the girl disclosed to her mother what Pegues had done to her. An investigation led by the DuPage County Children’s Center led to Pegues' arrest.

“For nearly one year, Mr. Pegues repeatedly sexually assaulted his young victim just to satisfy his sick sexual desires,” Berlin said in the news release. “He took advantage of the trust placed in him by his victim and his victim’s mother. The harm he was doing to his victim and her family never crossed his mind. He will however, now have the next fifteen years of his life to think about what he has done."

Kinsella sentenced Pegues to seven and one half years in the IDOC on each of the two counts, which will be served consecutively, resulting in the fifteen-year sentence. Pegues will be required to serve 85 percent of his sentence before being eligible for parole.