Steve Davis/The Register Mail
A 70-year old Arizona man accused of sexually abusing a boy in his foster care in the 1980s appeared in Knox County Court Tuesday where probable cause was found in the charges he faces.
The State’s Attorney is charging Dennis Donnelly with counts of criminal sexual assault and abuse related to three alleged incidents perpetrated against a boy in his foster care that he would later adopt.
Assistant State’s Attorney Brian Kerr called Special Agent Brian Masters with Illinois State Police to testify, the officer who took the victim’s initial complaint.
Masters says Louisiana State Police interviewed the victim, as that’s the state he resided in when he made the complaint.
All three of the incidents are said to have taken place within a year of each other, in a Knoxville home, all while the victim was under 13-years-old and while he was in Donnelly’s care.
The victim has told police that one of the incidents involved several other children.
Special Agent Masters also testified that Donnelly made several “incriminating comments” during a 22-minute interview with police at his home.
Donnelly will return to court for arraignment on April 10, where Public Defender David Hansen is expected to file a motion on Donnelly’s behalf.
Photo courtesy of Steve Davis of the Register-Mail
