MARION COUNTY — The bench trial of a 49-year-old Centralia man is set to begin Friday afternoon in Marion County court, on allegations he sexually assaulted a child.

Carl L. Privatt was arrested and charged in January with Class X felony predatory criminal sexual assault of a victim under the age of 13.

Defense and prosecution agreed last month to cap any sentence at 30 years in prison if Privatt is convicted, and also agreed to allow certain hearsay testimony, along with closed-circuit monitor testimony to be admitted at trial.

Privatt remains in the Marion County Jail with bail set at $150,000.The trial is expected to last half a day.