Man accused of sexually assaulting 7-year-old to remain in Ogle County Jail

OREGON – An Indiana man accused of sexually assaulting a 7-year-old girl will continue to be held in the Ogle County Jail despite his attorney’s efforts to have him released.

Casper W. Jennings, 34, of South Bend, Indiana, will remain in custody on charges of predatory criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse as his case proceeds through the court system.

Jennings has pleaded not guilty to five counts of predatory criminal sexual assault, Class X felonies, and one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, a Class 2 felony. He is accused of committing sex acts with the girl between June and November.

On Thursday, Ogle County Judge John “Ben” Roe denied a request by Jennings’s attorney, Ogle County Public Defender Kathleen Isley, to have her client released.

Isley said Jennings, who has been held in the jail since his Nov. 23 arrest, was no longer working as a truck driver and, if released, could stay with his father, who had recently moved to Rochelle from Indiana. Jennings appeared in court dressed in the orange jumpsuit issued to prisoners and wearing handcuffs and shackles.

“[Jennings] was a truck driver who would drive to various states. He is no longer employed as a truck driver,” Isley told Roe. “He had lived with his father, but his father has since moved to Rochelle, and if he were to be released, he could live with his dad.”

Assistant State’s Attorney Matthew Leisten argued that Jennings should remain in custody due to the severity of the charges.

“[Jennings] told her to ‘hush’ and not tell anyone,” Leisten said when referring to the alleged sexual assaults of the girl. Leisten said the girl, who Jennings knew, was evaluated at the Rochelle hospital after the assaults.

Isley said the court could place restrictions on Jennings if he were to be released, including wearing a monitoring device and having no contact with the alleged victim or any other children.

Roe disagreed, ruling that Jennings would remain in custody, citing evidence presented at a Nov. 26 detention hearing.

In court documents, Judge Anthony Peska ruled that Jennings should not be released because of the “nature and circumstances” and “regularity” of the alleged offenses. He also cited Jennings’s job in the trucking industry and “reported ongoing sexual assault” of the girl while in a “position of trust and authority” as additional reasons to deny his release.

Rochelle police arrested Jennings after an investigation in cooperation with the Shining Star Children’s Advocacy Center in Dixon, an agency that investigates allegations of physical or sexual abuse.

Jennings faces up to 60 years in prison under special sentencing if convicted of the Class X felonies. A Class 2 felony is punishable by three to seven years in prison.

Thursday marked the fourth court appearance for Jennings since his arrest by Rochelle police.

On Dec. 4, Jennings waived his right to a preliminary hearing, pleaded not guilty to the charges and entered a demand for a jury trial, a common practice after preliminary hearings.

His next court appearance is at 1:30 p.m. Jan. 23.