Southern Illinois man pleads guilty to assaulting 3 minors

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (AP) - A southern Illinois man has admitted to sexually assaulting three minors in his home.

Eric B. Rusk of Collinsville pleaded guilty Thursday to three counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child and was sentenced to 21 years in prison. Rusk will get credit for time spent in Madison County Jail since he was charged in May 2017.

Madison County prosecutors alleged the 44-year-old Rusk abused three young girls in his Bethalto home in 2011. All the victims were under age 13 at the time of the assault. The office of State's Attorney Tom Gibbons said in a statement the plea agreement was reached after consultation with the victims and their families.

Rusk must serve 85 percent of his sentence and must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.