A Rockford man has been sentenced to ten years in prison after pleading guilty to predatory criminal sexual assault on a child, bringing an end to a case that began when the little girl kicked her attacker and ran to tell her mother what had happened. Whitney Watkins, 32, will serve at least 85 percent of his sentence before facing mandatory supervision for three years to the remainder of his life.
According to Rockford News First, Watkins will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life after being freed. According to the site, the sentencing arises from a case conducted by the Rockford Police Department when police were dispatched to a residence on North Day Avenue on August 12, 2025, to investigate a sexual assault.
When police arrived at the scene, they spotted Watkins outside the property and urged him to stay put, but he left on foot, the station stated. Officers later located him several blocks away in the 400 block of North Central Avenue. Police said the youngster kicked Watkins to escape before immediately alerting her mother what had transpired.
Early reports, detailed initial charges. According to WIFR, when the arrest was first reported in August 2025, officers were dispatched to a west-side home just before 1 a.m. to investigate, and Watkins was initially charged with attempted predatory criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse. According to the station, authorities believe Watkins and the victim knew each other, and he was placed into the Winnebago County jail to await a detainment hearing.
According to Chronicle Media, police responded to a residence in the 200 block of North Day Avenue at 12:50 a.m. on Tuesday for an attempted sexual assault of a child, with officers informed that the victim was under the age of 13. According to the outlet, officers spotted Watkins on the 400 block of North Central Avenue, and the Winnebago County State’s Attorney’s Office reviewed the case before allowing charges.
More than a year after his initial arrest, Watkins pled guilty to predatory criminal sexual assault rather than facing trial. The more current story from Rockford News described the 10-year sentence, which required him to serve 85 percent of it, as well as the lifetime registration and monitoring requirements. First, it was stated that the Rockford Police Department had been investigating the matter since the beginning.
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