A Sherrard woman has waived her preliminary hearing in a six-count felony case stemming from a sex abuse investigation. 39-year-old Jennifer Younge will return to Mercer County Circuit Court on May 8 for a pre-trial conference.
She is charged with a Class X felony of involuntary servitude of a minor, Class 1 felony of permitting sexual abuse of a child, three Class 1 felony counts of criminal sexual assault, and one Class 2 felony of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges and remains in the Mercer County Jail on $500,000 bond.
A co-defendant in the case, 52-year-old Jeffrey Smith, who is homeless, is being held in the Mercer County Jail on $400,000 bond with a preliminary hearing scheduled for April 18.
