WOODSTOCK – A Harvard man accused of sexually assaulting an 8-year-old girl remained in custody Wednesday after a judge refused to lower his bond.

Bradley R. Neace, 21, is charged with several different sex crimes, the most serious of which is predatory criminal sexual assault, which is a Class X felony typically punishable by up to 30 years in prison.

Neace had asked McHenry County Judge Joseph Condon to reduce his bond from $200,000 to $50,000, with his public defender adding that he has a strong support system and is looking for a job.

Neace has no previous criminal arrests and is eligible for a pre-trial supervision program, a Court Services officer said. However, the alleged crimes are not considered when making a recommendation for that program.

Assistant State's Attorney Kate Lenhard objected to a lower bond during a hearing on Tuesday, saying that the alleged victim is an 8-year-old and a 6-year-old girl also was repeatedly exposed to pornographic materials.

Lenhard said that Neace gave a full confession to police and is facing a minimum 12-year sentence, which gives him an incentive to flee.

Condon agreed that the potential prison sentence was a substantial incentive.

Although Neace agreed to have no contact with the alleged victims, Condon said he did take into consideration the allegations and determined that Neace is a significant danger to the community.