GRANITE CITY – A man from Granite City accused of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old after meeting them at a bike trail is currently in Madison County custody.
24-year-old Zachary D. Jolly of Granite City was charged on Oct. 26, 2026 with a Class X felony count of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child.
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Jolly allegedly committed an act of sexual assault against a child who was 12 years old at the time of the offense on Oct. 20, 2026.
The Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to deny Jolly’s pretrial release from custody. The petition states Jolly and the child had been messaging on Snapchat and arranged to meet at a nearby bike trail. Jolly is accused of sexually assaulting the victim after they arrived at the designated meeting spot.
The petition notes that a sexual assault kit was completed after the alleged incident and search warrants were obtained for Jolly’s buccal swab and cell phone.
“Initial information from defendant's phone show that internet history was deleted and ChatGPT search history showed items such as rape kit evidence, sentencing overview, and DNA transfer,” the petition states.
Jolly currently remains in custody at the Madison County Jail pending trial in the case presented by the Granite City Police Department.
All individuals charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
