WILLIAMSON COUNTY - A Creal Springs woman charged with four counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse posted bond Wednesday afternoon and was released from the Williamson County Jail.

Brandi Thompson, aka Brandi Horn, had been held on $20,000 bond.

Thompson was arrested Monday at 401 N. Eubanks St. in Creal Springs by sheriff's department deputies after a signed complaint against her.

The 23-year-old Thompson is accused of sexually abusing two boys from Creal Springs, ages 14 and 16, on or about May 13 of this year. According to a case file in the circuit clerk's office, Thompson allegedly "committed an act of sexual penetration" with both boys "for the purpose of sexual gratification."

She is also said to have placed her hand on the boys' penises "for the purpose of sexual gratification."

If found guilty of the charges, Thompson could face anywhere from 3 to 7 years in prison on each count. Aggravated criminal sexual abuse is a Class 2 felony.

Public defender Larry Broeking was appointed as Thompson's counsel by Judge Phillip Palmer Tuesday at Thompson's arraignment. Lisa Beaty is prosecuting the case on behalf of the state. A probable cause hearing in the case has been set for Dec. 13 at 1:15 p.m.

Kathy Schimpf, executive director for the Williamson County Child Advocacy Center in Herrin, has seen hundreds of cases of sexual abuse over the last decade.

"When we think about sexual abuse, the vast majority of offenders are men," she said. "If the offender is a woman, many times, the boy doesn't report the incident right away because he might feel like he brought it on, or that he may be proud of it. They don't see it as having their childhood taken away from them, but that's what actually has happened."

Either way, Schimpf said the child is still a victim.

"The first sexual experience should not be one you're ashamed of," she said. "What the experience does is force the child to grow up too fast."

Schimpf said studies indicate that about one of every three girls under the age of 18 are sexually abused. That number falls to one of every five or seven boys who are reported to have been abused.

"The facts are that fewer boys report abuse, particularly if the abuser is also a male," Schimpf said. "Many fear that they must be homosexual, so they won't report the incident. They don't want to be ostracized by their friends."

Schimpf said that whether the youngster is 6 or 16, abuse is abuse.

"What's a shame is these cases are really difficult to prosecute. Most rational people can't believe somebody would do this or that to a child. Many search for a reason for it not to be true.

"And many times, the victim gets blamed," she said. "But nobody asks to be abused or assaulted and nobody has the right to abuse another person."

john.homan@thesouthern.com 618-997-3356 x15807