Sex Crimes

June 25, 2014

Man Charged with Sexual Assault of Elderly Grandville Woman in Home Invasion

On Thursday, June 19, Grandville police were called to the home of an elderly woman who had allegedly been sexually assaulted by a man who tricked her into letting him inside her home, where he stole money. According to Mlive.com, Shawn Jarrett got away with an undisclosed amount of money when he left the woman’s home on a bicycle.

Officers were called to the woman’s home in the 3700 block of Prairie Street SW at approximately 11 a.m. on the 19th. The woman told officers that the man came to her back door and used a ruse to gain entrance into her home. She claimed that she was injured by the man, although the nature of her injuries were not revealed by police.

Jarrett was formerly charged by Grandville District Court Judge Peter Versluis with first-degree criminal sexual conduct and first-degree home invasion. He denied bond for Jarrett, who protested and asked the judge how could he just tell Jarrett that he committed the crime without asking where he was at the time. Because of the seriousness of the crimes and Jarrett’s criminal background, the judge told Jarrett that he would have “plenty of time to address his case in open court at a later date.”

According to Walker police, Jarrett is also a suspect in the murder of a 40-year-old woman who was found dead in late May at a construction site. He also served 30 years in prison in Pennsylvania, a portion of that time for felony murder.

First-degree home invasion is very serious offense, leaving the defendant to face up to 20 years in prison if found guilty, along with substantial fines. In addition, this time may be served following any sentence given for the underlying crime, such as larceny. While any serious or violent crime requires the legal support of a skilled defense attorney, first-degree criminal sexual conduct is a charge that leaves the accused facing up to life in prison if convicted.

First-degree CSC involves penetration, and is a highly serious charge. While rape and other sex crimes do happen every day in our country, there are also many people who are wrongly accused of these types of crimes. While it is not likely in this case, there are many people who out of rage or spite will accuse others of rape or some other form of sexual abuse.

June 10, 2014

Los Angeles Acting Coach Faces Allegations of Sexual Assault Against 13-year-old Girl

by Scott Grabel

Last week, 54-year-old Cameron Thor, an acting coach in Los Angeles who has appeared in several movies and gave teens acting lessons, was charged with 14 counts of sexual assault against a minor and kidnapping, according to an article at Deadline|Hollywood. The charges are in connection with a 13-year-old girl whom Thor gave acting lessons to in 2008, when the alleged sexual assault took place.

Thor’s arraignment was originally scheduled for Thursday June 5, but was postponed to June 19. Thor gave acting lessons in the Carter Thor Studio in Studio City, CA. The District Attorney in the case claims that the 13-year-old girl was given marijuana by Thor before he sexually assaulted her. Thor, perhaps best known for a bit part in Jurassic Park, allegedly raped the girl in a secluded area in Los Angeles’ tony Agoura Hills section. The sexual assaults are said to have taken place over a time span of 11 months, beginning in April of 2008 and continuing until March of 2009, according to the NY Daily News.

At last report, Thor was in jail on a $2.6 million bail.

When penetration is involved, those accused face extremely serious criminal penalties if found guilty. In California, statutory rape will leave the accused individual facing up to 5 years in prison if charged as a felony offense. Statutory rape is considered a “wobbler” offense in the state, which means it may be charged as a misdemeanor or felony. The law is very different in Michigan, where statutory rape is typically charged as third-degree criminal sexual conduct and punished by a maximum of 15 years in prison.

First-degree criminal sexual conduct is the most serious sex offense charge in Michigan, and will leave the defendant facing up to life in prison if convicted. In addition, the majority of offenders are required to register on Michigan’s sex offender registry, which means their information can be viewed by anyone who chooses to search the website including friends, co-workers, potential employers, and others.

June 4, 2014

Minnesota Man Sentenced to More Than 8 Years in Prison for Rape of Mentally Impaired Victim

by Scott Grabel

According to a news release issued on Tuesday, June 3 by the Cass County Attorney’s Office, a 45-year-old Walker, Minnesota resident has been sentenced to more than eight years in prison for raping a woman. Darren Joseph Sayers pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal sexual conduct, a felony charge.

Sayers is accused of having sexual intercourse with a woman who was mentally impaired or physically helpless in September of last year. Sayers was convicted of a gross misdemeanor for harassment, stalking, and intent to injure in 2009. News reports indicate that once released from prison, Sayers will be required to register as a predator. Minnesota’s BCA (Bureau of Criminal Apprehension) predatory offender registration is similar to Michigan’s sex offender registry in that the public is given access to the names, addresses, and other information regarding individuals who are considered predators or a potential danger to others. Ultimately, both registries work to enhance public safety.

In Michigan, an individual who is accused of engaging in a sexual act that involves penetration with someone who is physically or mentally incapacitated may be charged with first- or third-degree criminal sexual conduct, depending on the details of the case. First-degree CSC is the most serious of all sex offenses in Michigan, and is punishable by a maximum prison term of life in prison. An individual found guilty of third-degree criminal sexual conduct may face up to 15 years behind bars. In either case, it is likely the defendant will be required to register as a sex offender for a specific time period or for the rest of his or her life, depending on the crime.

Being labeled a sex offender negatively impacts a person’s life far more than he or she would ever imagine. Anyone, including friends, neighbors, employees, or co-workers, can find information about registered sex offenders online. Sex offenders often cannot possess firearms, and can only live where it is permitted. Employment opportunities are severely limited as well.

June 3, 2014

23-year-old Saginaw Man Facing Rape Charges, More in Alleged Home Invasion

by Scott Grabel

On May 19, 23-year-old Welton D. Pulliam of Saginaw was arrested by Michigan State Police for allegedly raping a 22-year-old woman at her apartment during a home invasion, according to news reports at Mlive.com. He was scheduled for a preliminary hearing on the charges on Monday, June 2.

While there are few details regarding the home invasion, the incident is alleged to have occurred on April 28 at an apartment on Saginaw’s West Side. The arrest warrant issued for Pulliam indicated that he raped the woman. He was charged with four felony offenses including first-degree criminal sexual conduct causing personal injury, extortion, and first-degree home invasion. On May 29 while he remained in jail on a $150,000 bond, prosecutors also charged Pulliam with interfering with or intimidating a witness; this charge was also in connection with the April 28 incident.

Home invasion and extortion charges will leave an individual who is convicted facing up to 20 years in prison. In Michigan, first-degree criminal sexual conduct, the legal charge for rape, is the most serious of all, leaving those charged facing a maximum of life in prison if convicted. Intimidating or interfering with a witness is a 10-year felony.

While all of the charges Pulliam faces are serious, rape is by far the most serious. If convicted, not only will he face any number of years up to life behind bars, he will also be required to register as a sex offender for life. Sex offenders cannot choose where they may live in many cases; obtaining employment or financial assistance is also extremely difficult. Sex offenders are shunned by society, often ignored or looked down upon in the community.

May 6, 2014

77-year-old Muskegon Pastor Found Guilty of Rape

by Scott Grabel

On Friday May 2, 77-year-old Carlton Lindbergh Johnson, a longtime pastor of a church in Muskegon, was found guilty on two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of second-degree CSC in connection with the rapes and inappropriate touching of three female relatives when they were young, according to a news article at Mlive.com. News reports indicate the jury reached a verdict in under an hour.

The victims were allegedly sexually assaulted over a period of years, one of the victims when she was younger than 13, and two when they were between the ages of 13 and 15. The crimes occurred for a number of years up until 2012 when one of the victims came forward and a police investigation began. However, several women who testified in court claimed that Johnson had raped young female family members for decades before the conduct with the most recent victims came to light.

Johnson, who used the title of bishop at the Faith Congregational Church of God in Christ where he was pastor, allegedly sexually assaulted the victims both in his office at the church, and in the basement at his residence.

Johnson claimed that the allegations against him were false, and that the accusations against him arose due to a “terribly dysfunctional family” and tension within the church and family. He is scheduled for sentencing before Muskegon County 14th Circuit Judge Timothy G. Hicks on June 2. Continue reading

March 27, 2014

Judge Requests Additional DNA Information in Rape Case Where Alleged Victim Cannot Identify Attacker

by Scott Grabel

In 2011, a woman who is now 41 years old was allegedly raped near a playground at Jessie Loomis Elementary School by someone she claimed was following her. Now, a judge in the case is asking for additional DNA information after the woman could not identify 21-year-old Kevin D. Champion Jr., her alleged attacker.

According to a news article at Mlive.com, reports which were introduced at Champion’s March 24 preliminary hearing regarding crime lab test results from Michigan State Police were not specific enough. The DNA sample taken from Champion when the defendant was placed into the prison system matches a semen stain found on the victim’s hoodie, however Saginaw County District Judge Kyle Higgs Tarrant said that she was not comfortable with the lack of definitiveness.

Champion was charged with armed robbery, extortion, second-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a weapon, kidnapping, and three counts of first-degree CSC involving a weapon after allegedly attacking the victim, who had purchased an item for her neighbor at the T & M Market and was walking back toward her home at approximately 9 p.m. The victim claimed her attacker dragged her near the school’s playground area after placing her in a headlock.

She testified in court that she could not see all of her attacker’s face because of the hoodie he wore, and that he was armed with a silver gun which he threatened to hurt her with if she wasn’t quiet. The woman alleged that her attacker took her money and cell phone after taking off her shoes. He then proceeded to remove her pants before raping her.

Saginaw Police Officer Jonathon Beyerlein responded after one of the victim’s friends called 911. At trial, he testified that the victim could not identify Champion; two years later, she still could not identify him in a photo lineup after authorities had determined that the first DNA sample taken from Champion matched the evidence found on the woman’s hoodie. Champion is 5′ 8″ tall and weighs 145 pounds, however the woman described her attacker as about 5′ 6″ tall and weighing about 140 pounds. While she described him as tall, she explained during her testimony that because she is under 5 feet tall, someone who is 5′ 6″ is tall in comparison. The woman also described her attacker as “light skinned,” a description the defendant’s attorney said was a matter of opinion.

The remainder of Champion’s preliminary hearing has been postponed until the results of the second DNA swab are obtained, which Saginaw County Assistant Prosecutor Jennifer Barnes said could take three to six months.

March 14, 2014

Pinconning Man Gets One Year in Jail After Pleading No Contest to Sexual Assault of Girlfriend’s Daughter

by Scott Grabel

On Monday March 10, 25-year-old Joshua A. Kara of Pinconning was sentenced to one year in jail after pleading no contest to the sexual assault of his girlfriend’s teenage daughter, according to news reports at Mlive.com. Upon his release from jail, Kara was ordered to serve five years of probation.

Kara was charged with one count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct with an incapacitated victim and one count of fourth-degree CSC with a victim between the ages of 13 and 16. He pleaded no contest to the charges in January of this year.

In exchange for his no contest plea, prosecutors agreed to drop one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of third-degree CSC, which both involve penetration and are more serious offenses than those Kara pleaded to.

Kara pleaded no contest to the charges due to the fact that he was intoxicated at the time of the incident, and has no memory of it according to his defense attorney, Matthew Reyes. A mistrial was declared last August when a jury found Kara not guilty of assault with intent to commit sexual penetration; however, the jury could not agree on the three remaining charges.

The incident allegedly took place in September of 2012 when a Pinconning woman said she was awakened by her daughter’s 13-year-old friend pounding on her door. The girl alleged that her mother’s boyfriend (Kara) had sexually assaulted her, and that she woke up to him taking off her clothes and fondling her. The girl claimed that she left the room and ran to the friend’s home.

Upon speaking to the alleged victim’s mother, deputies learned that she and Kara had come home around midnight after going out to a bar. She had no idea anything was going on until another daughter woke her up and informed her that police were at the door.

When deputies arrived at the girl’s home, Kara was sleeping. He said that he was at a loss for words, and that after arriving home from the bar, he had simply given his girlfriend’s daughter a hug goodnight. At trial, Kara maintained that he was innocent of the allegations against him.

February 6, 2014

Oakland County Teens Face Sexual Assault Charges in Connection with Video of Minor

by Scott Grabel

Three Oakland County teens were recently charged with sexually assaulting a 15-year-old Clawson High School girl after they allegedly used a cell phone to capture sex acts between themselves and the victim, according to news reports. The Macomb Daily identified the three teenagers as 17-year-old Travion Watkins and 18-year-old Terry Watts of Pontiac, and 17-year-old Kheimoni Slaton of Clawson.

The defendants allegedly engaged in sexual intercourse and fellatio with the minor student in October of 2013. New reports indicate that all three of the suspects attended Clawson High School when the alleged sexual assaults occurred. According to police, Watts’ cell phone was used to record the sex acts, which were then shown to other students at the school.

One of the defendants attempted to erase the video from the cell phone once it was learned that school officials had been notified of the assault, however the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department retrieved it.

The three teens have each been charged with three counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct. Troy District Judge Kirsten Nielsen-Hartig set bond at $50,000, 10% for each of the defendants, who remained in jail pending a preliminary exam. If the teenagers are found guilty of third-degree CSC, each could face a maximum of 15 years in prison.

Third-degree criminal sexual conduct is a felony offense in Michigan, and involves penetration. Considering the ages of the defendants, each will be in his 30s before regaining freedom if convicted. While it is likely the defendants had no idea of the harsh punishment they would face if caught, it is still a crime even when an alleged victim cooperates if that person is younger than 16 years old.

January 28, 2014

Hemlock Man Pleads Not Guilty to Sexual Assault of Relative

by Scott Grabel

On January 17, 22-year-old Brandon W. Payne was arraigned on charges of sexual assault. Payne pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct against someone under the age of 13 and against a relative according to news reports at Mlive.com. He is accused of sexually assaulting a female relative from 2009 to 2013 beginning when the alleged victim was 12 years old.

Payne lives near the Midland County border on Tittabawassee; after entering his not guilty plea, Payne was ordered held on a $600,000 bond by Saginaw County District Judge Terry L. Clark. Defendants have a right to a preliminary hearing within 14 days of being arraigned, however Payne waived that right before District Judge A.T. Frank on Friday. A new date for the preliminary hearing has not yet been set.

Michigan sex crime defense attorneys understand the serious consequences Payne may face if the case proceeds to trial and he is found guilty. At 22 years old, he may face a lifetime behind bars. First-degree criminal sexual conduct is the most serious sex crime anyone can be charged with, and involves penetration. Considering the alleged victim in this case was younger than 13 when the sexual abuse began, the minimum sentence if Payne is convicted is 25 years in prison.

If Payne is indeed innocent of the allegations against him, it is understandable that he would plead not guilty. However, many defendants choose to negotiate a plea agreement with the prosecutor, which can and often does result in a reduced sentence. The penalty for first-degree CSC is as serious as the punishment for murder. For this reason, it is critical for anyone who is charged with this offense to consult with a highly regarded defense lawyer who will work with the accused to determine the best strategy to protect the individual’s freedom and legal rights.

January 21, 2014

Grand Rapids Man Whose Son Was Found Wandering the Neighborhood Alone Arrested for Sexual Assault

by Scott Grabel

On Friday January 17, Alfidio Benitez Cruz was arrested for alleged sexual assault after his own 4-year-old son was found wandering alone in his Grand Rapids neighborhood. Police responded to Cruz’s home after a passing motorist found his son in the area of Buchanan Avenue and Griggs Street SW, crying for his mother.

According to news reports at Mlive.com, the boy’s mother was taking another child to a hospital, and left the 4-year-old alone at home sleeping. She believed that Cruz would be home from work shortly, according to police. Cruz’ commute was prolonged due to weather conditions. When he made it home approximately one hour after his son had been found by the passing motorist, he was arrested for second-degree CSC on a warrant out of Kentwood involving another child, not his son. The child he is accused of sexually assaulting is a 6-year-old girl who is the daughter of a woman Cruz lived with in April of 2012.

Court documents indicate the girl told authorities that Cruz inappropriately touched her on one occasion, and attempted to get her to touch him; he denied the accusations at first, then admitted that he “may” have touched her as he and the girl were playing. A warrant for Cruz’ arrest was issued in May of 2012.

While Cruz remains jailed on a $2,500, his probable cause hearing is scheduled for January 27.

When it comes to situations involving the alleged sexual abuse of a young child, it’s often difficult to know whether the child has been coerced by adults into saying things that are not true, or perhaps even seen similar situations on television which lead them to make up stories. Certainly there are young children who are victims of sexual assault, but there are also many individuals who are innocent of the accusations against them who are ultimately convicted and sentenced to time behind bars.