MARION COUNTY — A Marion County jury found a 35-year-old Altamont man guilty of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child after deliberating Tuesday afternoon on the two felony charges.

Mark Redfern was found guilty of Count 1 of the charges against him, Class X felony predatory criminal sexual assault of a victim under the age of 13, but not guilty of Count 2, Class 2 felony aggravated sexual abuse of a victim under the age of 13.

Redfern is scheduled for sentencing April 7, with a prosecution motion to revoke bail granted.

The jury heard opening statements and testimony Monday in the case against Redfern, who was arrested on Halloween 2013 on a warrant charging him with the two felony offenses.

His attorney filed a motion Monday afternoon calling for a mistrial after a child witness gave testimony in a hearing outside the presence of the jury. Marion County Resident Judge Mark Stedelin denied that motion.

In a pretrial hearing in December, Stedelin had approved having the child testify outside Redfern’s presence.
The case had been delayed late last year when the competency of the child witness to testify was questioned. Stedelin ultimately ruled the child would be allowed to testify outside Redfern’s presence.

After asking two questions and having them answered, the jury was handed the case Tuesday afternoon, with less than two full-days of testimony in a trial that was expected to last three days.

A Class X offense is punishable by between 6 and 30 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections and up to $250,000 in fines. Upon his release from prison he will have to register for life as a sexual predator.