Man accused of sexually assaulting two girls sentenced to 13 years in prison

Posted on December 17, 2014

Ricky Burden. (WJBC file photo)

By Joe Ragusa

BLOOMINGTON – A man who represented himself during the sentencing phase of a sexual assault trial has been sentenced to 13 years in prison.

40-year-old Ricky Burden of Bloomington was sentenced Tuesday on charges of predatory criminal sexual abuse and aggravated criminal sexual abuse of girls under the age of 13.

Burden flipped a chair over as he left the courtroom after he was found guilty in October and dismissed his attorney. Burden told Assistant State's Attorney Adam Ghrist to watch what he was saying during the sentencing hearing.

Ghrist said those kinds of statements are nothing new.

"I've never had this happen before, which is someone disparaging my mom in court, which Mr. Burden also did," Ghrist said.

Burden will serve at least 85-percent an eight-year sentence for predatory criminal sexual abuse and at least 50-percent of a five-year sentence for aggravated criminal sexual abuse.

Burden was given credit for 309 days served in jail.

Joe Ragusa can be reached at [email protected].

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