GILLESPIE - Jimmy D. Byrd Jr., 44, of Gillespie, has been formally indicted by a grand jury in Madison County on 12 felony counts including child pornography and sexual assault of a child. All 12 of the charges against him are Class X felonies, half of which carry a sentence of up to 60 years in prison. His bail was set at $750,000.
Court records state Byrd committed these acts in June of 2022 and was indicted by the jury on June 8, 2023. Court records state the victim was “under thirteen (13) years of age when the act was committed,” but their exact date of birth indicates they were 6 years old at the time of these offenses.
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The full list of charges against Byrd includes six counts of Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault of a Child (each enhanced Class X felonies carrying 6-60 year sentences) and six counts of Child Pornography (Each Class X felonies).
On June 1, 2022, Byrd was charged with one count of Criminal Sexual Assault of a Child. Byrd was additionally charged with one count of Child Pornography after he “recorded it with his phone.” On June 4, 2022, Byrd was charged again with one count each of Criminal Sexual Assault of a Child and Child Pornography, both committed against the same victim on June 1.
Byrd was charged with an additional two counts each of Criminal Sexual Assault of a Child and Child Pornography against the same victim on June 18, 2022. He was charged again with two counts each of the same offenses against the same victim on June 22, 2022.
Byrd’s Jury Trial is set for July 10 at the Madison County Criminal Justice Center in Edwardsville. More information and updates on his case (Case # 2023CF001052) can be found here.
The issuance of charges is based solely upon probable cause and is not an indication of guilt. All subjects charged with criminal offenses are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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