Erie man found not guilty of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child; acquitted on all 7 counts

MORRISON — Prefacing his decision with comments about the difficulty he faced in reaching a decision, a Whiteside County judge Thursday, May 29, acquitted an Erie man charged with sex assault crimes that could have put him behind bars for the rest of his life.

David Skinner, 62, was found not guilty of all seven counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child younger than 13 that he faced. The charges were filed against him in August 2021 and accused of him of having sexual contact with a child younger than 13 multiple times between October 2014 and July 2016.

According to court records, the girl was 12 when the first alleged assault occurred. Skinner, if convicted, could have received a sentence of 6 to 60 years in prison on each charge.

A week after the conclusion of Skinner’s two-day bench trial, Whiteside County Circuit Court Judge James Heuerman on Thursday issued his decision.

Heuerman said the decision to reach the “right verdict” was difficult. Finding Skinner guilty on even one charge could essentially send him to prison for life and it was impossible to know with certainty – based on the nature of the charges – whether the crimes did or did not occur, Heuerman said.

He said Skinner did not have to prove he didn’t commit a crime; instead, it is the state’s responsibility to prove, through evidence, that he was guilty. Heuerman said he based his decision on the evidence presented at trial, and the evidence was not enough to prove, with certainty, that Skinner committed the crime.

“That’s not a finding that he didn’t do it,” Heuerman emphasized, adding for someone who wasn’t there, there was “some minimum reasonable doubt.”