Published: May 13, 2008 06:21 am         

McGehee enters plea agreement

Class X felonies could bring lengthy prison time

DANVILLE — A Vermilion County man admitted Monday to sexually assaulting a toddler early last year.

Jeffery McGehee, 24, of Georgetown appeared in Vermilion County Circuit Court on Monday and entered a plea agreement with the state’s attorney’s office on charges of aggravated battery of child and predatory criminal sexual assault, both Class X felonies.

McGehee was arrested and arraigned in late February, accused of a variety of illegal sexual acts with a then-14-month-old girl. At that time, he also was accused of doing great bodily harm to the child, according to the criminal charges.

Assistant State’s Attorney Larry Mills said McGehee faces a maximum term of 60 years and a minimum of 12 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections under the two charges.

Mills said the maximum is essentially a life sentence for the 24-year-old man. He indicated the state will ask for the maximum prison sentence in the case.

McGehee will appear in court for a sentencing hearing in the case on June 26 before Judge Nancy Fahey.

Mills said that under Illinois law McGehee must serve 85 percent of the prison term he receives.

McGehee was facing a maximum of 80 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections and a mini-mum of 30 years as a result of a laundry list of eight charges filed against him including aggravated battery with permanent disability for a child under 13 and additional counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child.

The remaining six charges — dropped as a result of the plea agreement — accused him of “exceptionally brutal or heinous conduct” that showed “wanton cruelty” toward the little girl.

Also in court on Monday, defense attorneys pushed back the vehicular homicide case against Valerie Simpson, 42, of Georgetown.

Simpson is charged with two counts of aggravated DUI in the traffic accident on May 4, 2007, that killed two people.

Public Defender Robert McIntire motioned for and received a continuance in the case during morning court proceedings. A new hearing was set for Sept. 22.

According to testimony, Simpson was driving south on Illinois Route 1 when her Dodge Caravan crossed the center line and collided with a northbound vehicle driven by Robert Downing, 44, of West-ville. Two passengers — Patty Downing, 44, of Westville, and Charles Morton Jr., 71, of Danville — both died as a result of the crash.

Simpson had a blood-alcohol level of .176 at the time of the crash, more than double the legal limit in Illinois.