Man Gets 28 Years For Sex Assault

DUPAGE COUNTY, IL — A former Chicago man has been sentenced to 28 years in prison for sexually assaulting a Bensenville woman he met through the social media app, KIK, in April 2014. During the sentencing hearing Wednesday, Oscar Howell was also linked to a prior sex assault of a woman in LaGrange Park in June 2014, prosecutors said.

In both instances, Howell used KIK to lure his victims. He did not use his actual photo and used the screen name, "thafamousboytrey," according to prosecutors.

The Bensenville woman, who was 19 years old at the time she started chatting with Howell via the social media app in April 2014, agreed to meet him outside her home at about 2 a.m. on June 30, 2014, according to a news release from the state's attorney's office. When he arrived, the woman got into his car. Howell kept his face toward the driver's side window, drove to an alley a couple blocks away and then pulled out a knife.

He ordered the woman to get into the backseat of the car, threatening to stab her, and then sexually assaulted her several times, according to prosecutors. Afterward, he drove her home and threatened her so she would not disclose the assault.

The woman did report the assault to the Bensenville Police Department. An investigation lead authorities to Howell, who was taken into custody on April 28, 2016.

He has remained in custody on a $1 million bail and pleaded guilty to an aggravated criminal sexual assault charge on April 9.

Following the incidents, DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin urged area residents to use social media apps "responsibly."

“Social media apps can be friendly, good-natured and even helpful when used responsibly,” Berlin said. “These same apps however, can be used by sexual predators like Oscar Howell as a hunting ground for their next victim."

Berlin said video chatting with someone you plan to meet, before meeting in person, is a good idea. Meeting in a public place, telling someone where you are going and never relying on the person you are meeting for transportation are also good tips to follow.

Howell must serve 85 percent of his sentence before being eligible for parole. Once released, he will be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.