EDWARDSVILLE — A Collinsville man has been found guilty of multiple counts of sexual assault involving a child, Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine announced Wednesday.
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Markki L. Edmonson, 48, was convicted on four counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, an enhanced class X felony, and one count of criminal sexual assault, a class 1 felony. The verdict came after a bench trial in Circuit Court of Madison County.
Edmonson was found guilty of committing sexual acts with a victim who was between the ages of 9 and 13 from Jan. 1, 2016, to Feb. 14, 2018. The assaults were reported after the child disclosed the incidents to a school social worker.
Assistant State’s Attorney Rebecca Buettner, in her closing argument, asserted that the victim’s statements were credible, while the defendant’s were not. The investigation was conducted by the Collinsville Police Department and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
"We commend the victim for having the tremendous courage to report what happened and to face this predator in court," Haine said. "I also commend the investigating agencies, the Madison County Child Advocacy Center, the prosecution team, and the victim advocates at the State’s Attorney’s Office for working collaboratively to ensure that this victim’s voice was heard."
The case was prosecuted by Buettner, who is assigned to the Children’s Justice Division at the State’s Attorney’s Office, and Assistant State’s Attorney Ali Foley, who is chief of the Children’s Justice Division. Associate Judge Neil Schroeder presided over the trial.
Edmonson will be sentenced at a later date. The Class X felonies carry a sentence of 6 to 60 years in prison, while the Class 1 felony carries a sentence of 4 to 15 years. All counts are non-probationable and carry mandatory consecutive sentences, meaning Edmonson faces a minimum 28-year sentence.
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