BENTON – It only took an hour Friday for a Franklin County Jury to find a Christopher man guilty for Predatory Criminal Sexual Abuse of a Child and Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse after a four-day trial in Benton.
According to Franklin County State’s Attorney Abby Dinn, 45-year-old Jeromy Bocook will likely be sentenced early next year. He could spend 6 to 60 years in prison.
On Nov. 1, 2017, a child told her grandmother that Bocook, a family member, had touched her inappropriately at the child’s home in Christopher. Her grandmother immediately took the child to the Zeigler Police Department to report the sexual abuse.
When Zeigler Police Chief Ben Burkhamer learned the crime occurred at the child’s home in Christopher, he immediately contacted the Christopher Police Department and transferred the case. A forensic interview of the child was scheduled with the Franklin Williamson-County Child Advocacy Center, and the investigation was underway.
Bocook was charged by a Grand Jury Indictment on July 20, 2018. The case was set for jury trial multiple times over the years. Much to the dismay of the State and the victim, the trial settings were continued, mostly on Bocook’s motions. On Tuesday, Nov 4, 2025, a jury trial finally began. A jury was selected, and multiple witnesses testified throughout the week for the prosecution.
The case was investigated by the Zeigler Police Department, Christopher Police Department and the Franklin Williamson County Child Advocacy Center. The case was prosecuted by State’s Attorney Abby Dinn.
