Whiteside sexual predator facing new charges in Mercer County

ALEDO – A former rural Whiteside County man on four years’ probation for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl is facing similar charges in Mercer County, where he now lives, and possibly revocation of his probation.

Jeffrey John Smith, 52, was arrested April 3 on charges of criminal sexual assault of a child, grooming and two counts of sexual exploitation of a child.

Bond was set at $150,000, then those charges were amended to include two more criminal sexual assault charges and aggravated criminal sexual abuse, for seven felony counts in all.

All involved the same girl, who Mercer County investigators say was at least 13 but younger than 17 at the time of the assaults.

According to the charging documents, Smith raped and touched the girl between May 1 and Aug. 30, and on Jan. 8 and 13 – after his Sept. 2 conviction in Whiteside County – he used a cellphone to send her lewd photos and videos of himself engaging in a sex act.

The criminal sexual assault charges are punishable by at least four to 15 years in prison; aggravated criminal sexual assault carries three to seven years; and the others are punishable by one to four years.

In addition, Smith’s bond was increased to $400,000. He posted $40,000 on April 5 and was released from Mercer County jail, court records show.

Mercer County State’s Attorney Grace Simpson also filed a motion seeking to have his bond increased to $1 million.

He has a preliminary hearing there on April 18.

Smith also has a co-defendant, a Mercer County woman named Jennifer A. Younge, 39, who is charged with involuntary servitude of a minor, permitting sexual abuse of a child, three counts of criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse.

The most serious, involuntary servitude, carries at least six to 30 years.

Younge also is free after posting $50,000 of her $500,000 bond on April 5. She has a pretrial conference May 8.

Smith was charged Aug. 19, 2016, in Whiteside County with two counts of predatory sexual assault of a child, for which he could have gotten six to 30 years.

Those charges were amended Sept. 2 to include aggravated criminal sexual abuse, which carries three to seven years in prison but also is a probational offense.

Smith, who had been free about six years after posting $5,000 of his $50,000 bond shortly after his arrest, was convicted of the lesser charge. Per a plea agreement, the other charges were dismissed.

He also was deemed by the court to be a sexual predator.

State’s Attorney Terry Costello filed a petition accusing him of violating his probation on Feb. 15; Smith appeared in court March 15 and was freed on a $10,000 recognizance bond. A pretrial violation report was filed April 6.

He has a pretrial conference in that case on April 28.