A 53-year-old Centralia man was sentenced Wednesday in Clinton County Court to seven years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a victim more than 5-years his junior. A grand jury handed down a bill of indictment in April against Johnny Townsend, charging him with two Class X felony counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a victim under the age of 13. Townsend was arrested on a warrant June 24, with bail set at $50,000. He pleaded not guilty to the Class 2 charge of aggravated criminal sexual abuse in exchange for the two Class X charges being dismissed. In addition to serving 7 years in prison, Townsend must serve 2-years mandatory supervised release, and register as a sex offender, as well as submit to testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.

A 53-year-old Centralia man was sentenced Wednesday in Clinton County Court to seven years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a victim more than 5-years his junior. A grand jury handed down a bill of indictment in April against Johnny Townsend, charging him with two Class X felony counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a victim under the age of 13. Townsend was arrested on a warrant June 24, with bail set at $50,000. He pleaded not guilty to the Class 2 charge of aggravated criminal sexual abuse in exchange for the two Class X charges being dismissed. In addition to serving 7 years in prison, Townsend must serve 2-years mandatory supervised release, and register as a sex offender, as well as submit to testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.