A suburban Chicago man convicted of raping a woman he met on Craigslist pleaded guilty Monday to raping a second woman whom he also met online in exchange for the dropping of six other rape charges.
In defending the plea deal, McHenry County Assistant State's Attorney Sharyl Eisenstein said the 120-year sentence Charles R. Oliver of Woodstock faces is the maximum he would have faced had he been convicted in all eight cases.
Also as part of the deal, prosecutors agreed not to bring new rape charges against him based on evidence collected during the investigation of Oliver's actions. Eisenstein said there were photographs and videos of a number of identified and unidentified women found in Oliver's home, for which he won't be charged. However, Oliver can be charged with other criminal acts if new evidence comes to light.
"I'm pleased the victims will not have to come in and testify," Eisenstein said.
Oliver was accused of raping women, many of them prostitutes, who responded to his online ads for sex, for several months beginning in late 2011. Oliver has been held in McHenry County Jail in lieu of $4 million bond since his arrest last year after a victim reported being raped.
Last month, the 45-year-old Oliver was convicted of raping a 22-year-old Chicago woman he agreed to pay $200 for sex.
Prosecutors contended Oliver pushed the woman to the floor in his locked basement laundry room Nov. 6, 2012, before videotaping them having sex in his bedroom. Oliver eventually took the woman back to a Rosemont train station, but not before taking a picture of her driver's license, prosecutors said.
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During last month's trial, defense attorney Mark Facchini argued that the sex between Oliver and the woman was consensual. However, a woman from Huntley testified she met Oliver online and in person in January 2013 for paid sex. She also testified Oliver took her to a basement room to intimidate her and she later inflicted a minor injury during sex. She was able to later escape.
Judge Sharon Prather scheduled Oliver's sentencing for May 8.
