A plea hearing has been set in the case against the former Henry County Jail administrator, charged with four counts of nonconsensual dissemination of sexual images.
The defendant, Jerrico Lessard, appeared in Henry County Circuit Court on Thursday for a pretrial hearing, along with his attorney, Public Defender Lance Camp.
The state is being represented by a special prosecutor, Lee County Assistant State’s Attorney Brian Brim, who appeared via Zoom for the hearing. Attorney Camp asked Brim if the plea deal was set to proceed, to which Brim replied that it was.
Both sides requested a future date for the hearing. Brim told the court that as of now, he wasn’t sure if both of the two victims in the case will want to give victim impact statements.
Lessard, who was hired by the HCSO in October of 2012, faces the four felony charges after allegations of off-duty misconduct led to an investigation first by the HCSO and then by the Illinois State Police. Once the allegations came to light, the county placed Lessard on administrative leave on Jan. 8, 2024. He resigned as jail administrator on Jan. 23, 2024.
According to the charges filed against him in April, Lessard is alleged to have disseminated images of two women, known only in court documents by their initials and birthdates. Three counts allege that Lessard disseminated photos of one of the women on Oct. 14, 2023. The counts further allege that Lessard shared images without permission where “intimate parts were exposed.” Images of a second woman were reportedly shared by Lessard on June 2 of 2023.
Nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images is a Class 4 felony, punishable by one to three years in prison, along with one-year of mandatory supervision and up to a $25,000 fine.
Judge Colby Hathaway set the plea hearing for Sept. 20.
