Ogle County judge upholds 180-year prison sentence for man’s sexual assault of teen – Shaw Local

OREGON – An Oregon man’s request for a reduced prison sentence for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in 2021 was denied Thursday.

James S. Clevenger III, 61, through his attorney, Ogle County Assistant District Attorney Michael O’Brien, filed a motion last week asking for his sentence to be reduced from 180 years in prison.

Judge John “Ben” Roe sentenced Clevenger on September 12 to 30 years in prison on six counts of criminal sexual abuse. Roe ordered the sentences to be served consecutively after finding him guilty on Feb. 16 following a trial in November 2023.

The charges against Clevenger were filed in May 2022 after Oregon police investigated a sexual abuse complaint filed by a girl. Clevenger was accused of sexually assaulting the girl between March and June 2021.

He was convicted in 1995 in Stephenson County of sexually abusing a 14- to 15-year-old girl, according to court records.

Ogle County State’s Attorney Michael Rock said Clevenger’s criminal record qualified him for a special sentencing range of 30 to 60 years on each charge by the Illinois Department of Corrections.

On Thursday, O’Brien asked Roe to reconsider the verdict. “We respectfully ask the court to reduce the sentence,” said O’Brien, who argued in his motion that the sentence was “excessive in light of the nature and circumstances of the crime” and the history, character and age of the suspect.

O’Brien said the trial court erred in allowing the defendant’s “alleged prior conviction” in assessing the sentence and failed to give “due weight” to other mitigating factors.

Assistant State’s Attorney Matthew Leisten disagreed. “We believe the sentence should stand because of the sexual assault in Stephenson County,” he said.

Roe agreed with Leisten.

“I have reviewed the motion and at this time I am going to deny the defense motion in its entirety,” Roe said.

Clevenger has been held in the Ogle County Jail since Roe handed down the guilty verdict in February. On July 30, Roe denied Clevenger’s motion for a new trial and/or reconsideration of the guilty verdicts.