Quincy man pleads guilty to criminal sexual assault of family member under age 18; sentencing set for Feb. 1

QUINCY — A bench trial for a Quincy man facing three counts of criminal sexual abuse and two counts of criminal sexual assault was canceled Monday morning when the defendant entered a guilty plea.

Jeremy A. McSparren, 39, appeared with Public Defender Mark Taylor in Adams County Circuit Court before Judge Kevin Tippey. 

Possible sexual abuse by McSparren was reported to the Quincy Police Department on May 6. The juvenile was interviewed at the Child Advocacy Center in Quincy and disclosed additional abuse. An arrest warrant was issued on May 12 for McSparren, who was charged with three counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a victim under the age of 18.

Amended information filed on June 14 charged McSparren with two counts of criminal sexual assault of a family member under the age of 18.

At the beginning of Monday’s hearing, Assistant State’s Attorney Laura Keck informed Tippey that she learned on Nov. 30 that McSparren would enter a guilty plea as part of a negotiation and the bench trial was no longer necessary.

McSparren pled guilty to the two charges of criminal sexual assault of a family member under the age of 18. Keck said McSparren admitted in an interview with Det. Craig Hufford of the Quincy Police Department that between Aug. 1, 2022, and May 5, 2023, he committed two offenses of sexual penetration, placing his finger in the sex organ of a family member and placing his tongue inside her anus. The juvenile was living with McSparren at the time.

Both charges are Class 1 felonies. McSparren could be sentenced to between four and 15 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for each charge. The sentences must be served consecutively. McSparren will be sentenced on Feb. 1. He also could be sentenced to mandatory supervised release for three years up to natural life for each offense.

As part of the plea negotiation, the three counts of criminal sexual abuse — all Class 1 felonies — were dismissed.