The Fifth District Court of Appeals has upheld the 22-year prison sentence of Daniel Lanning, a former house parent at the Carmi Baptist Children’s Home, who was convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old female resident.
44-year-old Lanning of Carmi, received two consecutive 11-year sentences after pleading guilty to two counts of criminal sexual assault involving a victim between the ages of 13 and 17. In his appeal, Lanning’s attorney argued that his client had no prior criminal history, was classified as a low to moderate risk for re-offending, and had accepted responsibility for his actions. The defense also claimed the court did not adequately consider Lanning’s rehabilitative potential.
Initially, Lanning attempted to withdraw his guilty plea and sought a reduction in his sentence but later dropped his plea withdrawal request and proceeded only with the sentence reduction effort.
During the original proceedings, then-State’s Attorney Denton Aud provided a factual basis for the charges, stating that Lanning, as a house parent, engaged in repeated inappropriate sexual contact with the 14-year-old resident. The encounters, which began with spankings and escalated to more intimate acts, occurred in areas away from surveillance cameras. Lanning claimed the victim initiated the contact, but Aud described the conduct as “pure evil behavior,” emphasizing Lanning’s lack of childhood trauma.
While Lanning apologized in court, the judge noted he did not fully accept responsibility, as he continued to assert that the victim initiated the acts. Considering all factors, the appellate court affirmed the original sentence handed down by White County Resident Judge T. Scott Webb.
Lanning is currently serving his sentence at Centralia Correctional Center. He will not be eligible for parole until December 24, 2040.