District Sentencing

C.D. Ill. · Sex AbuseFY2018–FY2025

Districts › Central District of Illinois

Sex Abuse in the Central District of Illinois

C.D. Ill. · Seventh Circuit · Sex Abuse nationally

The datafile contains cases reported to the Commission with sentencing documents. Sentence length statistics use the Commission's capped variable (sentences of 470 months or longer, including life, are recorded as 470 months) and exclude sentences of probation or a fine only. Figures are aggregates of past cases and are not a prediction for any case.

17cases, FY2025142 over FY2018–FY2025
180median prison monthsnational, this offence: 180
30%within guideline rangenational 41%
100%cases with a prison termnational 99%

§ 1Length of prison terms

<10
<10
<10
12%
33%
20%
13%
9%
8%
median 180 mo
under 6 mo6–11 mo1–2 yr2–3 yr3–5 yr5–10 yr10–15 yr15–20 yr20–30 yr30 yr+life
Share of cases with a prison term, by length of the term (142 cases with a prison term; life and terms of 470 months or more counted as life). Grey: sexual abuse offences nationally.

Interquartile range 120–264 months; mean 205. 12 cases at the Commission's 470-month cap (life or longer).

§ 2Summary

Sex Abuse was the primary offence type in 142 cases sentenced in the Central District of Illinois between FY2018 and FY2025 (7% of the district's cases), with 17 in FY2025.

The median prison term was 180 months (15 years), close to the national median for sexual abuse offences (180 months) and close to the Seventh Circuit median (192). Half of prison terms fell between 120 and 264 months; 100% of cases carried a prison term.

30% of these sentences were within the guideline range (nationally for this offence type: 41%); 35% were below the range on a government motion and 32% below it for other reasons.

FY2025 had fewer cases than FY2021 (17 against 27). The median prison term was about the same in FY2025 as in FY2021.

These are aggregates of past cases. The guideline range for any case depends on its offence level, criminal history and statutory minimums, and the sentence on the court's findings; no figure here estimates an outcome.

§ 3Position relative to the guideline range

Within guideline range 30%Above range <10Below range, government sponsored 35%Below range, other 32%Not determinable 0

§ 4Compared with the district, the circuit and the nation

MeasureC.D. Ill., sex abuseC.D. Ill., all offences7th Cir., sex abuseUS, sex abuse
Cases per fiscal year18242901,239
Share of district caseload7.3%100%——
Median prison months18072192180
Mean prison months20596—212
Cases with a prison term100%97%—99%
Within guideline range30%35%31%41%
Above range—5%5%5%
Below range, government sponsored35%23%37%29%
Below range, other32%37%27%26%
Median final offence level3525—37

§ 5Trend by fiscal year

<10
<10
<10
27
39
17
22
17
’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Sex Abuse cases sentenced per fiscal year (fiscal years 2018–2025)
<10
<10
<10
180
120
148
180
180
’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Median prison months by fiscal year (fiscal years 2018–2025)
Fiscal yearCasesPrisonMedian monthsWithin rangeBelow, gov.Below, otherAbove
FY2018<10fewer than 10 cases
FY2019<10fewer than 10 cases
FY2020<10fewer than 10 cases
FY202127100%18041%———
FY202239100%12026%41%——
FY202317100%148————
FY202422100%180—46%—0%
FY202517100%180———0%

§ 6Criminal history

Category I65% · 67%
Category II10% · 10%
Category III<10
Category IV<10
Category V10% · 6%
Category VI<10

Share of cases at each final criminal history category; grey figure: sexual abuse offences nationally.

§ 7Guidelines applied

Primary guidelines the Commission associates with this offence type, with the district's caseload under each across all offence types.

§ 8Questions and answers

What is the typical sentence for sexual abuse offences in the Central District of Illinois?

The median prison term over FY2018–FY2025 was 180 months (15 years), with the middle half of terms between 120 and 264 months. 100% of cases carried a prison term. The national median for sexual abuse offences is 180 months.

How often are sexual abuse offences sentenced below the guideline range here?

35% of sentences were below the range on a government motion and 32% below it for other reasons; 30% were within the range. The Commission's categories are explained in the guide to how the guidelines work.

How does this compare with the rest of the country?

Nationally, sexual abuse offences had a median prison term of 180 months and a within-range share of 41% over the same period. The district's figures are close to on median term and lower than the national within-range share.

Which guidelines are involved?

The most common primary guidelines for these cases are §2G1.3, §2G2.1 and §none.

Is this a prediction for a particular case?

No. The figures are aggregates of sentences already imposed, as recorded by the US Sentencing Commission. They are not legal advice and do not estimate the outcome of any case.

§ 9Other offence types in the Central District of Illinois

§ 10Provenance

Source: United States Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles, fiscal years 2018–2025 (US government works), aggregated by this site; the FY2025 file is dated 29 Apr 2026. Offence type is the Commission's OFFGUIDE code 27; district is CIRCDIST 46. Counts below 10 are hidden or pooled. Errors in this site's processing are corrected at the next build; see corrections. Methodology.