Published: May 19, 2008 05:34 pm            

Jacksonville man gets 95 years for unlawful acts with a child

By Raymond Billy

rbilly@jacksonvilleprogress.com

A Jacksonville man has been sentenced to a combined 95 years in prison after being convicted Thursday on a pair of charges of unlawful acts with a child.

Glenn R. Wingard, 49, was sentenced to 75 years in prison for aggravated sexual assault of a child and fined $10,000 for the offense and 20 years plus an additional $10,000 for indecency with a child by contact.

Wingard was arrested in February on the charges, one year after the offenses allegedly took place.

WIngard's trial proceeded quickly. Jury selection was May 12 in the case, which was presided over by 369th State District Judge Bascom W. Bentley III. Testimony began Tuesday.

“We had the testimony of the child and an additional member of the family ... we also had experts on child victimization,” said Cherokee County Assistant District Attorney Rachel Patton-Rogers, who tried the case against Wingard.



The jury took about two hours Thursday to return its verdict and impose punishment.

Wingard had a history of suspicious behavior with children. He was placed on probation in Leon County for an injury to a child case in 2000. It was an aggravated sexual assault of a child case that was pleaded down to injury to a child.

“Leon County has since filed a motion to revoke his probation. When he’s settled up here, they will be transporting him there to face charges in Leon County,” Patton-Rogers said.

Patton-Rogers said she is relieved Wingard is off the streets.

“We’re very pleased with the result. We feel as though we’ve stopped a dangerous person from harming any more children in Cherokee County.”



Editor’s note: Reporting by Kelly Young contributed to this article.

        

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