CLINTON COUNTY — A 25-year-old Centralia man was sentenced today in Clinton County Court to 5-years in the Illinois Department of Corrections after he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for a sexual assault charge being dismissed.

Terrell Branch (Source: CCSD)
Terrell Branch
(Source: CCSD)

Terrell Branch was arrested and charged in November with Class 1 felony criminal sexual assault by force, and Class 3 felony aggravated battery of a pregnant or handicapped person for an incident involving his ex-girlfriend. He pleaded guilty today to the Class 3 count in exchange for the Class 1 count being dismissed.

In 2011 Branch was charged in Marion County Court with the same offense but against a different ex-girlfriend — Class 1 felony criminal sexual abuse by force, along with Class 2 felony aggravated domestic battery including strangling and Class 4 felony domestic battery causing bodily harm.

He was sentenced in that case to 3-years in prison, after he pleaded guilty to the Class 4 domestic battery and the other two more serious charges were dismissed per the agreement.