Michigan Sex Crime Attorneys Blog

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.

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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.

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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.

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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