A Danville man with a history of sexual abuse and domestic battery has been sentenced to 14 years in state prison after admitting to touching and taking nude photos of a girl last year.
36-year-old Jesse Koester was sentenced by Judge Charlie Hall on Thursday afternoon to 10 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to one count of child pornography, and an additional four years on one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. The sentences must be served consecutively.
Assistant State’s Attorney Tom O’Connor said during the sentencing hearing that Koester inappropriately touched a teenage girl in August of last year. The girl was a family friend. Danville Police detectives found nude images of the girl on Koester’s phone during their investigation.
Koester has a lengthy criminal history. He served prison time for a 2004 sex abuse case in Ford County and received probation in 2011 for having indecent communication with a minor. He also has convictions for domestic battery and disorderly conduct, and has two cases still pending in Vermilion County.
Hall said he was reluctant to sentence Koester to the negotiated sentence, given his criminal past.
“You have a rugged criminal history and you’ve made a lot of bad decisions,” he explained. “You ought to know better.”
Under terms of his sentence, Koester must serve at least seven years, or 50 percent, to be eligible for parole. He was given credit for 147 days spent in the county jail.
