Joshua Rockett, 38, of Fairfield, appeared in Wayne County Circuit Court on Tuesday following his April 14th arrest by Fairfield Police. He faces multiple charges including:
Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse (Class 1 felony) involving a child under 18 who was under his trust.
Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse (Class 2 felony) where the accused is more than 5 years older than the minor.
Criminal Sexual Abuse/Unable to Consent (Class 4 felony).
Rockett appeared with his attorney, TJ Parish, while State’s Attorney Kyle Ellis represented the prosecution. The hearing was conducted before Judge Denton Aud of Carmi. Rockett waived a formal reading of the charges, possible penalties, and rights. The court then considered the State’s Petition to Deny Pretrial Release.
Judge Aud found that the State met its burden on two prongs:
That proof is evident or the presumption is great that Rockett committed a detainable offense.
That Rockett poses a threat to the safety of an individual or the community.
However, the court determined the State did not meet its burden under the third prong: proving that no combination of conditions could mitigate the present threat. Factors cited included Rockett’s lack of prior criminal record, a zero score on the VPRAI-R risk assessment scale, which is an evidence-based instrument used to assess the risk of a defendant failing to appear in court or committing a new offense while on pretrial release, current employment, medical conditions, and willingness to comply with court-imposed restrictions.
Instead of granting the State’s petition, Judge Aud ordered Rockett’s release under strict pretrial conditions, including:
Mandatory court appearances as scheduled.
Compliance with all court orders and legal processes.
Prohibition on violating any laws or leaving Illinois without court approval.
No contact with minors, including his own children, unless supervised by his wife.
Supervision by Pretrial Services with electronic home monitoring.
Limited use of electronics—only a work computer and a cell phone for professional and Pretrial Services contact, with no internet or social media use allowed.
Random searches by law enforcement or Pretrial Services.
The case is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on June 10th at 9:00am in Wayne County Circuit Court.
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