McKinney Given 12-Year Prison Term

McKinney was found guilty in October of the Class X felony after less than an hour of deliberation by an Effingham County jury. McKinney was found guilty of actions involving a 12-year-old girl during a three-month period in 2015 while the girl and her uncle were living with McKinney in a home in Effingham.

Effingham County Public Defender Scott Schmidt asked for the minimum six-year sentence for McKinney, while Effingham County State's Attorney Bryan Kibler sought a 35-year sentence. The sentence could have ranged as much as 60 years due to the nature of the charge.

Judge Kevin Parker considered a victim impact statement, and the State presented evidence in aggravation, while no evidence was presented by the defense. Schmidt did present a defense motion for a new trial, which Parker denied.

McKinney has to serve at least 85% of the sentence before being eligible for release, meaning he will be in custody until the start of 2028. 

Kibler said he's happy that McKinney "is put away for a while; he can't hurt anyone". He said the victim's advocates were satisfied with the results.

McKinney will have to register for the rest of his life as a sex offender. He was given credit for six months served awaiting disposition of the case.