Bethalto Man Pleads Guilty To Child Sexual Abuse In Jersey County
JERSEYVILLE – A Jersey County judge sentenced a Bethalto man to five years in prison after he pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a child earlier this year.
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25-year-old Anthony B. Newcome of Bethalto pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a victim under 13 years of age. As a Class 2 felony, the charge carried a possible sentence of three to seven years of imprisonment plus two years of mandatory supervised release.
Newcome entered his guilty plea in Jersey County Circuit Court on Sept. 21, 2026, and was sentenced to five years in the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC), followed by two years of mandatory supervised release.
Court fines and fees totaling $2,130 were waived as credit for time served. Newcome received credits of $30 per day for 71 days served in Jersey County custody.
On July 14, 2026, Newcome committed an act of sexual conduct against a minor victim who was under the age of 13 at the time of the offense. The victim’s exact age has not been made public.
On the same day, Newcome was arrested by the Jersey County Sheriff’s Office and booked into custody at the Jersey County Jail before being charged two days later on July 16, 2026.
A petition to deny Newcome’s pretrial release from custody was filed by the Jersey County State’s Attorney’s Office and was later granted by the Seventh Judicial Circuit Court of Jersey County.
According to a Detention Order filed in this case, the victim reported instances of sexual conduct taking place on July 14, 2026, to family members and made consistent statements during an interview at a local Child Advocacy Center.
Newcome was then interviewed and admitted to “going too far” and committing an act of sexual conduct with the minor victim. The Detention Order also notes video recorded inside the victim’s bedroom shows Newcome entering before obstructing the camera’s view “to continue inappropriate conduct with a child.”
Illinois Department of Corrections records show Newcome is currently in reception status at the Graham Correctional Center in Hillsboro, Ill., after being admitted into IDOC custody on Sept. 22, 2026. Newcome is now required to register as a sex offender.
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