A man who recently received a maximum prison sentence after he was found guilty of sex crimes involving minors has filed an appeal of his sentence.

A notice of appeal was filed on behalf of Jeffrey L. McClain, 63, Wednesday seeking to appeal the verdict and sentence to the Second District Court of Appeals.

McClain was sentenced to 13 years in prison March 27 after he was found guilty of two counts of gross sexual imposition and one count of endangering children during a bench trial. McClain was also classified as a Tier II sex offender prior to sentencing.

The charges McClain was found guilty of involved two children and the conduct reportedly occurred between April 2017, and November 2018.

Throughout the March 27 sentencing hearing, a particular incident involving a sleepover with minors at McClain’s residence was referenced. Champaign County Prosecutor Kevin Talebi said McClain told law enforcement that nothing out of the ordinary took place at the sleepover and it was not until McClain was asked about certain allegations that he said stated there was a display of a sexual act by one of the minors.

Talebi said McClain never reported the incident at the sleepover to anyone prior to meeting with law enforcement.

“The state believes that (the victim) was sexually assaulted, the state believes it was the defendant who was the perpetrator and this is the explanation for why the defendant did not report it to law enforcement, this is the explanation why he didn’t report it to any authorities because the defendant didn’t want anyone to know that (the victim) was being sexually assaulted and abused by the defendant,” Talebi said during the sentencing hearing.

Following sentencing, a motion to stay execution of the sentence pending appeal was filed by McClain’s attorney Addie King. This motion was denied by the court on Monday.