Cole County man convicted of statutory sodomy granted new trial

A judge has granted Kevin Struempf a new trial after a recent jury found him guilty of statutory sodomy.

According to the probable cause statement, officers responded to a Cole County home in 2015 after the 3-year-old victim’s grandmother told them the victim said she was touched inappropriately by Struempf.

The grandmother reported to police that she observed bruising and redness near the victim’s genitalia, which medical officials found to be consistent with sexual assault injuries at University Hospital.

On Wednesday, a judge granted Struempf a new trial after Struempf filed a motion for a new trial claiming the victim was not read an oath prior to her testimony and that the jury’s verdict in this matter rests on unsworn testimony.

According to public court records, there will be a new trial setting in November.