On Wednesday, a Knox County man was arrested by the McDonough County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) on numerous charges related to sex crimes involving more than one child over the course of several years.
In a release from McDonough County Sheriff Nick Petitgout, following the issuance of a warrant signed Feb. 4 by McDonough County Circuit Court Judge Nigel Graham, Jeremy Lee Sholl, 43, of Galesburg, was arrested at 10 a.m., Wednesday, Feb. 11 at his Galesburg residence by McDonough County Sheriff's deputies and Illinois State Police Zone 4 special agents. According to McDonough County Sheriff Nick Petitgout, over the past several months, MCSO detectives investigated allegations against Sholl, who was accused of inappropriately touching, grooming and molesting children in, and outside, of a McDonough County household. During the lengthy investigation, detectives recovered digital evidence of the crime and conducted numerous interviews of the victims with the help of the Illinois Child Advocacy Center in Quincy.
Felony charges include two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child; two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, and two counts of criminal sexual assault.
'These are complex investigations that take time, and I'm proud of my detectives for their tireless work and for standing up for the victims,' Petitgout said.
At press time, Sholl had not yet appeared in McDonough County Circuit Court. A detention hearing was set for 1:30 p.m. Feb. 12. Petitgout added the McDonough County Sheriff's Office continues to investigate along with the Illinois State Police Zone 4 on this case. Additional charges could be brought forth at a later date.
'We encourage all victims to come forward, so that justice may be served,' he said. 'We also want to remind the public there are many services available locally to victims of these heinous crimes. The Victims Services WIRC-CAA 24-hour Crisis Line is (309) 837-5555, if you need help, you can always call.'
The Community News Brief will have additional details in Tuesday’s edition.
