Benton man sentenced to 44 years for child sexual assault

KBSI FOX23 News at 9 p.m.

BENTON, Ill., (KBSI) – A Benton man has been sentenced to more than four decades in prison after admitting to repeatedly sexually assaulting a child.

Jesse D.R. Skaggs, 36, was sentenced Tuesday to 44 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections after pleading guilty in June to four counts of criminal sexual assault.

Authorities said Skaggs confessed to years of abuse after a family member came forward earlier this year. He was taken into custody in March following an investigation led by Benton Police Detective Mark Wilkey.

Franklin County State’s Attorney Abigail Dinn said Skaggs must serve at least 85% of his sentence and will remain under supervised release for up to life after his prison term.

The case was investigated by the Benton Police Department and the Franklin Williamson Child Advocacy Center.