The bench trial of 33-year-old Chad Covalt gets underway Monday in Wabash County Circuit Court. The Mt. Carmel man is charged with faces three charges of predatory criminal sexual assault and four counts of possession of child pornography.
Late last month, Covalt opted out of a jury trial and instead have Judge William C. Hudson decide his fate in Wabash County Circuit Court.
Covalt has pled not guilty to allegedly committing predatory criminal sexual assault of a child in connection to incidents between January of 2017 and May of 2021 with a girl under the age of 13. The four child pornography charges allege Covalt filmed and/or photographed the unclothed young girl between January of 2017 and January of 2020. All 7 counts are Class X felonies.
A Class X felony in Illinois carries a possible prison sentence of 6 to 30 years on each count. Covalt remains in the Wabash County Jail on a half million-dollar bond.
The bench trial is set for April 11th. Circuit Clerk Angie Crum said prospective jurors called for jury duty Monday do not need to appear.
