URBANA — An Urbana man has been found guilty of sexually assaulting two young children.

Jurors deliberated for 90 minutes before finding Dante Freeman, 31, guilty of nine counts of felony sexual assault and predation on a child under 13.

State’s Attorney Julia Rietz said the charges stem from a family member noticing the 9-year-old acting strangely in January and asking about it, prompting the child to report that Freeman had committed sexual acts on them using objects.

Assistant State’s Attorney Joel Fletcher said the first child’s testimony mentioned a second child was present, and that child then revealed his own testimony to a parent.

“This case came to light because family members of these two children recognized what was going on and immediately brought it to the attention of the authorities,” Rietz said.

Both children testified at the trial this week.

“I want to express my appreciation for all the hard work Mr Fletcher has put into this case and also say that we are very grateful for the courage these survivors have shown in having to give evidence in front of to a jury about these very traumatic events,” Rietz said.

When police searched Freeman’s home in January, they found an object consistent with what the children described as being used on them.

Rietz said forensic scientists from the state crime lab testified in court that the defendant’s and the victims’ DNA was found on that item.

Freeman faces a mandatory life sentence because two victims were implicated.

At the time of his arrest in January, Freeman was on probation for a previous public indecency conviction. Rietz said Freeman was discovered sitting naked by a window when a 13-year-old girl walked by her bus stop in 2022.

He also had an upcoming court date for a second public indecency case in which police received a report that he walked into an Urbana Dollar General on December 27, 2023, with his genitals exposed.