Steeleville man indicted on charges of sexual assault against children | Crime

UNION COUNTY, IL (KFVS) - Union County State's Attorney Tyler R. Edmonds announced Wednesday the Union County Grand Jury has returned indictments against a former Union County resident.

Stacey L. Ayers, 42, was charged with two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child and two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. Ayers is alleged to have committed acts of sexual conduct with children under 13 years of age between 1995 and 2003.

According to Edmonds, Ayers is currently being held at the Jackson County Jail in Murphysboro on $175,000 bond. Charges follow an investigation by the Union County Sheriff's Office. Ayers is set for a first appearance on Friday, June 15 at 9 a.m. at the Union County Courthouse in Jonesboro.

The Union County State's Attorney's Office reminds the public that charges are not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

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