Madison County jury convicts 53-year-old man on sexual assault charges

EDWARDSVILLE — A Madison County jury has convicted a 53-year-old Madison man this afternoon on sexual assault charges following a two-day jury trial at the Madison County Criminal Justice Center in Edwardsville.

Opening statements began on Tuesday, July 19, 2016, in the case against Jerry D. Sutt (d.o.b. 1/5/63) who was charged with two counts of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault (Class X Felony) and two counts of Aggravated Unlawful Restraint (Class 3 Felony) on September 19, 2014. Assistant State’s Attorneys Kathleen Nolan and Alison Foley of the Children’s Justice Division presented evidence during the trial, including DNA, to support the State’s charges against Sutt, who elected to represent himself.

“The actions of this defendant were repulsive, to say the very least. My prosecutors from Children’s Justice Division worked closely with the Madison County Sheriff’s Department, the Illinois State Police, and various medical personnel to seek justice for these two young victims,” said State’s Attorney Tom Gibbons. “Thanks to the jurors’ decision today, Jerry Sutt will no longer be able to prey upon the children in our community.”

Gibbons also commended the outstanding bravery of both victims, who testified during the trial, “These victims displayed great bravery, not only coming forward with their story, but also testifying in court today, I am hopeful that today’s guilty verdict will help them to continue on the path toward healing.”

Sutt will remain in custody at the Madison County Jail in Edwardsville, where he has been held since his arrest in 2013. Sentencing by Circuit Judge Kyle Napp will occur following the completion of a pre-sentencing investigation that usually takes 6-8 weeks.

Normal penalty range for a Class X Felony conviction is 6-30 years in prison; maximum for the Class 3 Felony is 3-5 years in prison. Due to the aggravating factors present in this case, Sutt is eligible for enhanced sentences.

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