Kewanee man declared Sexually Violent Person by court

A Kewanee man who is a registered sex offender has been declared a Sexually Violent Person (SVP) by a Henry County judge, according to a news release from Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul. Assistant Attorneys General David Kalicki and Kellie Van Voorhis managed the case for Raoul’s Sexually Violent Persons Bureau.

Henry County Circuit Court Judge Colby G. Hathaway ordered that James G. James, Jr., 35, should be committed to the custody of the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS). James had been held in the IDHS Treatment and Detention Facility awaiting his trial.

“The court has found this defendant’s actions continue to present a threat to the community,” said Raoul. “I am committed to protecting Illinois families and communities from those who prey on innocent children.”

James was convicted in 2009 of aggravated criminal sexual abuse for sexually abusing a two-year-old and a three-year-old. His probation was revoked after he was found within 500 feet of Kewanee High School as a registered sex offender. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years in prison.

After his release from prison, James failed to register as a sex offender and later pleaded guilty to indecent solicitation of a child after contacting an undercover police officer online who was posing as a 15-year-old girl.

The Attorney General’s office files cases under the Sexually Violent Persons Commitment Act to commit offenders to the custody of IDHS. A person must have been convicted of a sexually violent offense and suffer from a mental disorder to be committed under the Act. The office must also prove that the offender is likely to commit future acts of sexual violence if released from custody. Offenders are reevaluated regularly after being committed to IDHS to determine if they continue to meet the criteria for commitment as a sexually violent person.

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