Rape survivor speaks on tanning salon owner's criminal charges

Former Chicago tanning salon operator Marc Winner, convicted of sexually assaulting a former employee nearly 10 years ago, has pleaded guilty to one count of criminal sexual abuse of a customer, WGN reports.

After 47-year-old Marc Winner entered the plea Friday, Cook County Circuit Judge Carol Howard sentenced him to four years in prison. The sentence will be served after he completes a 13-year sentence from his May conviction for assaulting the former employee at his apartment.

In the case decided Friday, he allegedly attacked a 26-year-old woman in August 2015 at Soleil, the salon Winner previously owned.

UPDATE June 19, 2018:

Former West Loop tanning salon owner Marc Winner, convicted of raping a former employee, has been sentenced to 13 years in prison, WGN reports.

UPDATE June 19, 2018:

A sentencing hearing was slated to start Tuesday for Marc Winner, a former West Loop tanning salon owner who was convicted last month of raping a former employee, WGN-TV reports.

Marc Winner, 47, was convicted May 1 on two charges of sexual assault in connection with a 2009 rape. Sentencing proceedings will start Tuesday afternoon at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse at 2650 S. California Ave.

Winner faces up to 15 years in prison for that case. It is one of four rape cases prosecutors have brought against Winner since 2015. The other three cases are still pending. All four victims were either customers or employees at Winner's now-defunct West Loop tanning salon, WGN-TV reports.

Prosecutors believe Winner has raped at least five additional women. Those cases fall outside Illinois' statute of limitations for filing charges.

UPDATE May 1, 2018:

West Loop tanning salon owner Marc Winner was found guilty on two charges of sexual assault Tuesday in connection with the 2009 rape of a former employee, WGN-TV reports.

Winner was found guilty of criminal sexual assault and criminal sexual abuse and faces a four to 15 year sentence. He was found not guilty on a charge of criminal sexual assault with kidnapping.

Winner is charged with the sexual assaults of three other women. Prosecutors say he raped at least eight women over the course of 17 years. He is only being charged in four cases due to Illinois' statute of limitations.

Winner's sentencing date has been set for June 1.

September 16, 2016:

Was a serial rapist let go with just a slap on the wrist? That's what one of his alleged victims is claiming in an all-new interview with Elizabeth Smart.

As the accusations of sexual assault continue to grow against Marc Winner, Crime Watch Daily Special Correspondent Elizabeth Smart decided to confront him and get his side of the story.

Crime Watch Daily Special Correspondent Elizabeth Smart knows better than anyone what it's like to be a survivor of violent sexual abuse. At age 14 she was kidnapped, raped and tortured over nine months while police searched for her. Today she is a champion for victims of sexual abuse in their fight for justice.

Barton courageously shares her nightmare for the first time on national television, and only with Elizabeth.

Marc Winner has several women in the Chicago area screaming rape.

Crime Watch Daily was there after Winner's most recent status hearing. Winner is facing charges on four vicious rapes over six years. He's pleaded not guilty to all counts.

Lesley Barton, a former career political consultant, is the first woman to step forward and accuse Marc Winner of raping her on top of a tanning bed in his salon on Chicago's North Shore.

"It nearly utterly and completely destroyed me," said Barton.

After a friend of Barton's called police, officers went to the tanning salon and arrested Marc Winner on suspicion of criminal sexual assault.

Barton received the news that Winner would get probation and not serve another day behind bars.

Now at least four other women are claiming Winner did the same thing to them after walking free.

Marc Winner's criminal record reportedly includes convictions for DUI, driving with a revoked license, theft and possession of cocaine.

Winner's current charges of four violent sexual assaults range between 2009 and 2015. And that includes the kidnapping of one woman he allegedly brought to his mother's home and raped at knifepoint.

And now Barton says insult is again added to injury to see Marc Winner walk free again after posting bond on his four pending rape charges.

Elizabeth Smart decided to track down Marc Winner at his Chicago home. We were unable to speak with him.

Winner's attorney sent Crime Watch Daily this statement: "We prefer to try these cases in the courtroom. At that time we believe people will see these charges are without merit."

We did get a good look at Winner the day he posted bond to get out of jail. He wears an ankle monitor and is under a 7 p.m. curfew. But he was too busy running away to answer any questions.

If convicted, Winner could be sentenced to a minimum of 40 years in prison.