A man who was originally arrested for a minor offense was found guilty Dec. 11 by a Warren County jury on the charge of smearing feces on the walls of his jail cell.

James M. Donovan, 32, O’Fallon, was being held at the Warren County Jail in November 2016. Donovan was observed defecating on his jail uniform and using it to wipe feces on his cell door and walls, according to the sheriff’s department.

Donovan was never prosecuted for what Sheriff Kevin Harrison described as a relatively minor allegation that led to his confinement. But after jail staff had to clean his feces off the wall, Donovan was charged in February with endangering a correctional employee and damaging jail property. Both charges are Class D felonies.

Harrison explained that causing jail staff to come into contact with bodily fluid or feces could potentially expose them to a number of diseases. He said when faced with the charges, Donovan chose to let the matter be decided by a jury trial.

After being presented with evidence from both sides, the jury went into closed deliberation at 4:28 p.m. Less than 20 minutes later, at 4:44 p.m., the jury returned to deliver guilty verdicts for both charges.

The date for a sentencing hearing before Presiding Judge Wes Dalton has yet to be set. Donovan is currently released on a $10,000 surety bond.