Quincy man to plead guilty to aggravated criminal sexual abuse of juvenile, gets five-year prison term

QUINCY — A Quincy man facing up to 67 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections has waived his right to a jury trial after agreeing to a plea.

William Dees, 33, appeared Tuesday morning with attorney Drew Schnack in Adams County Circuit Court before Judge Tad Brenner. Dees’ case was set to be on the April jury docket, but Assistant State’s Attorney Laura Keck told Brenner a negotiation had been reached.

Dees has agreed to plead guilty to one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a juvenile under the age of 18, a Class 2 felony punishable for between three and seven years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. Schnack told Brenner that both sides agreed that Dees would serve five years in prison and was eligible to serve 50 percent of his sentence. 

In exchange for the plea, four charges of criminal sexual assault of a juvenile under the age of 18, a Class 1 felony, would be dismissed.

Dees will formally admit his guilt and be sentenced by Brenner on Thursday afternoon.

Dees was located by Quincy Police Department detectives and arrested in November. He remains lodged in the Adams County Jail.

Detectives from the Quincy Police Department had been investigating a report of possible sexual abuse of a juvenile that occurred between Nov. 26, 2011, through Nov. 25, 2022.  As part of the investigation, a juvenile was interviewed at the Child Advocacy Center.