Man Gets 120-Year Term in ‘Girl X’ Sex Assault
- Share via
A man was sentenced to the maximum 120 years in prison for a sex attack that left a 9-year-old girl blind, mute and crippled.
Prosecutors said that in 1997, Patrick Sykes lured the girl into an apartment at Chicago’s crime-ridden Cabrini-Green housing project, sexually assaulted her, poured roach spray down her throat, beat her and left her for dead in a dirty stairwell. The girl became known in the media as Girl X.
Girl X--now 14 and in a wheelchair--testified during the trial, using head movements to answer questions. She said a man she had seen often lured her into an apartment, then pulled a knife.
More to Read
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.