A jury in Rantoul, Illinois reached a verdict in under 30 minutes on Wednesday, convicting a 39-year-old local man of two charges of predatory criminal sexual assault.
Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Rietz said the jury trial took place July 29 and 30.
Evidence presented in court indicated that the sexual abuse occurred between October 2021 and February 2022 in Rantoul.
The investigation into Joshua Nibbe began in April 2022 when the mother reported to the Rantoul Police that her child, who was then 11, had been sexually assaulted by Nibbe since the age of 10.
On June 22, 2022, criminal charges were filed by the State’s Attorney’s Office, leading to Nibbe’s arrest a week later on June 29. He has remained at the Champaign County Correctional Center since his arrest.
The conviction of predatory criminal sexual assault, a class X felony, carries a potential penalty of 6 to 60 years of imprisonment. Given the guilty verdict on both counts, State’s Attorney Julia Rietz stated that Nibbe will serve the sentences consecutively.
A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 6, 2025 at 9 a.m.
In court, lead prosecutor Joel Fletcher submitted evidence from Rantoul Police Department investigators and testimony from Children’s Advocacy Center Forensic Interviewer Mary Bunyard to corroborate the child’s account.
