A man from Normal convicted of sexually abusing a teenage girl has had his sentence reduced by nearly two decades.
Richard Gaines, 47, was sent back to McLean County court for resentencing last week after an appeals court partially overturned his 2022 conviction.
Gaines was charged with a range of felonies related to the repeated abuse of a 14-year-old that began after the two met during prolonged stays at a Bloomington hotel.
He was originally sentenced to a combined 59 years, including 30 years for two counts of criminal sexual assault of a minor between the ages of 13 and 17, a Class 1 felony.
The appellate court said there was insufficient proof of a threat of force on those two charges, which requires evidence the victim was restrained, scared of the defendant, resisted the defendant or said "no."
The case was returned for resentencing on four charges that had previously been merged with one of the two overturned counts. Judge Jason Chambers issued six-year sentences on each of the four counts of criminal sexual abuse of a minor, Class 2 felonies, but ruled two of the charges could be served concurrently with two others for a combined 12 years.
In total, that reduces Gaines' sentence from 59 years to 41. According to State's Attorney Erika Reynolds, Gaines is required to serve 85% of 15 years and half of the other 26 years before he is eligible for parole. He has served nearly four years in prison thus far, so Gaines could be released as soon as 2048. Upon release, he must register as a sex offender and will be placed on mandatory supervised release for a term of three years to life.
The girl's mother had a related obstruction charge that was overturned on appeal. Asked about the reduced sentence, she said while Gaines will still serve significant time in prison, she's disappointed in the system — again.
"One of the arguments used in Mr. Gaines' appeal was he had been given a de facto life sentence," she said in an email. "Well, he didn't give my daughter a de facto life sentence. He gave her a life sentence. ...Our whole family feels that the fact that it was mentioned multiple times that I was supposedly complicit in his crimes regardless of that being proven untrue and the fact that during his statement he still isn't admitting or showing remorse for his actions to be an injustice. My daughter ran from the court room in tears and I caught up to her at the elevator because of how this situation still effects her."
