Southern Illinois man charged with 13 counts of child sex assault

SYCAMORE – A southern Illinois man has been charged with 13 counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child in DeKalb County, records show.

Andrew C. Burnett, 20, of Herrin in Williamson County was charged July 30 after authorities said the acts occurred at a DeKalb County residence, according to DeKalb County court records. Police began investigating the assaults after they received a tip.

Burnett was arrested on a warrant by Herrin police and taken to Williamson County Jail on Aug. 2 before he was transported by DeKalb County Sheriff’s deputies to the county jail in Sycamore, records show.

Prosecutors said Burnett sexually assaulted two children multiple times over the course of several months, according to court records. The children told police that they tried to stop Burnett from attacking them, but he did not, police wrote in a synopsis filed July 30 in court.

Circuit Court Associate Judge Stephanie Klein set Burnett’s pretrial release hearing for Aug. 6 after prosecutors with the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to deny him release.

In their petition, prosecutors alleged that Burnett’s new alleged actions violated the conditions of his sentence from a former local case after he pleaded guilty April 11, 2023, to misdemeanor battery from an Aug. 22, 2022, case in Sandwich, records show.

Prosecutors said Burnett’s conviction showed that he had a “violent nature,” according to court records.

In a second pretrial release hearing this week, Circuit Court Judge Philip Montgomery ordered that Burnett be detained on his new charges pending trial.

In his Aug. 6 ruling, Montgomery set Burnett’s next court hearing for 9:30 a.m. Aug. 27, when Burnett is expected to be arraigned, according to court records.