A Viola man placed on 30-months’ probation and sentenced to 180 days in the Mercer County Jail with credit for time served after pleading guilty to a Class 2 felony of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. 46-year-old James Eric Haley must also register as a sex offender. The negotiated agreement was entered Wednesday morning in Mercer County Circuit Court. Mercer County State’s Attorney Grace Simpson spoke with WRMJ about the disposition of the case.
Haley was arrested in August of 2019 following a search warrant being executed at his home. He was originally facing 16 felony counts, including child pornography, in connection with allegations involving a 15-year-old girl.