Glen Ellyn man sentenced to 36 years in prison for sexual abuse of mentally disabled girl

Tribune staff report

May 5, 2008

chicaagotribune.com

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-sexual-assault-06-both.1-may06,0,3028620.story

A Glen Ellyn man was sentenced Monday to 36 years in prison for sexually abusing a mentally disabled girl for years.

Gerard Schlaiss, 51, admitted he inappropriately touched and fondled the girl, who was between the ages of 13 and 17, on six occasions before his arrest in September. He was sentenced by DuPage Judge Robert Anderson.

Police investigated Schlaiss and a report from a citizen who alleged seeing inappropriate contact between the two.

Schlaiss was convicted in 1990 of sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl in Lake County, according to the Illinois State Police sex offender registry.

He also was convicted of selling tobacco products to minors in DuPage County in 2005, said Assistant State’s Atty. Liam Brennan.