A Galesburg man has been ordered to remain in jail on charges accusing him of trying to kill a minor by setting the child’s house on fire.
A judge Friday afternoon allowed for the continued pretrial detention of Jason Fielder, 46, under the state’s Pretrial Fairness Act, citing a “real and present threat” to the community.
Galesburg Police and Fire were called to a home on Highland Avenue around 7:30 Thursday morning.
Knox County State’s Attorney Jeremy Karlin told Judge Chad Long that’s more than two hours after a nearly 17-year-old child told police Fielder somehow got into the home, zip-tied the child’s hands, forced that child to perform a sex act, then zip-tied the child to a basement railing — all before allegedly setting the home on fire.
Fielder reportedly was in a relationship with the child’s mother until a few months ago.
Long granted Fielder a public defender, and scheduled a preliminary hearing for September 16th.
He’s charged with the Class-X felony counts of Attempted Murder, Aggravated Arson, and Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault, along with the Class-4 felony of Unlawful Restraint.
Each Class-X felony carries a potential six to 30 years in prison if convicted, while the Class-4 felony could result in one to three years in prison.
CLARIFICATION: According to Knox County State’s Attorney Jeremy Karlin, the suspect does not face a murder charge, only attempted murder. Online court records, Karlin says, are in error. WGIL News reporters heard the court announce the Attempted Murder charge during a hearing Friday afternoon.
