PANA — A Pana woman was arrested earlier this week on accusations of child grooming stemming back to an incident in late February.
The Christian County Sheriff’s Department (CCSD) was made aware of an adult female within Christian County who had been sending unwanted texts to multiple juveniles. This was known to the department as early as February 26.
CCSD began its investigation Tuesday, April 2, resulting in the arrest of 36-year-old Ashley N. Getz. Getz is currently facing charges of child grooming.
In a court hearing Thursday, Getz is facing four counts of child grooming, considered a Class 4 felony in the Land of Lincoln. The penalty, if convicted, varies depending on the severity of the charges, as Class 4 felonies normally carry a maximum of three years per charge. However, should the severity of the grooming be high enough, the State could file for an extended term, which would carry up to six years per charge. Based on either rationale, Getz could face between 12 and 24 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections upon conviction.
Getz remains in custody at the Christian County Correctional Center with her next status hearing with public defender Tiffany Senger on April 29.
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Jake Leonard, a broadcast media and journalism veteran, is the editor-in-chief of Heartland Newsfeed. Leonard is also GM and program director of Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network, wrestling editor and contributing writer for Ambush Sports, a contributing writer for My Sports Vote and Midwest Sports Network, and a former contributor to Bleacher Report and Overtime Heroics. He resides at home in Nokomis, Ill. with his dog Buster.
