A Jury of 12 men and women found a 34-year-old Kewanee man Not Guilty for bringing his daughter to Kewanee from Tremont, Illinois, without permission from the child’s mother on January 29, 2023. Bradley Kelly was charged with Child Abduction, Resisting, Child Endangerment and Failure to Secure a child under eight years of age after Kewanee Police conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle that matched the description of a vehicle wanted for a child abduction. The Jury found Mr. Kelly Not Guilty of Child Abduction, Resisting and Child Endangerment; However, he was found Guilty for the citation for failing to secure his 3-year-old daughter in her car seat. Mr. Kelly was given 6 months Court Supervision and $75 fine plus assessments. Mr. Kelly has until October 2, 2023, to pay the fine and assessments. Watch for full trial coverage tomorrow.
According to the Kewanee Police Department release in January, a Kewanee man was arrested after refusing to follow orders from Kewanee Police Officers during a traffic stop for a complaint that he had abducted his 3-year-old biological child on January 29, 2023. Bradley Kelly, 33, had no legal rights established to the child and reportedly has allegedly only seen the child a few times since her birth. A family member of the child called Kewanee Police to report he followed Bradley Kelly from where the child was taken and that they were headed to Kewanee. Around 11:30 PM, Kewanee Police Officers made a traffic stop on Kelly’s vehicle as it entered Kewanee city limits. Kelly would not follow Officer’s orders during the traffic stop and was arrested. Officers located the child in the backseat of the car unbuckled in a car seat with a blanket, but no coat, socks or shoes.
