Erie man sentenced to 15 years for twice molesting 5-year-old girl

Devontae K. Petrie

MORRISON – An Erie man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting a 5-year-old girl.

After agreeing to a plea bargain, Devontae K. Petrie, 26, pleaded guilty Jan. 4 to two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child younger than 13, and was sentenced to 7 1/2 on each count, according to court records. The terms are to run consecutively.

The charge is punishable by six to 60 years.

Per statute, Petrie must serve 85%, or almost 13 years, and register as a sex offender. He also was given credit for 326 days served in Whiteside County jail.

Petrie was charged with the two counts on Feb 16, 2021. The two molestations happened between June 27, 2019, and July 4, 2019.

Kathleen Schultz

Kathleen A. Schultz

Kathleen Schultz is a Sterling native with 40 years of reporting and editing experience in Arizona, California, Montana and Illinois.