Michigan news reports that a Berrien Springs massage therapist and former pastor has pleaded guilty to two counts of fourth-degree sexual assault. The Berrien County sex crime charges stem from an incident where Johan Albert Abrahams of St Joseph allegedly inappropriately touched a woman’s breast and thigh. WSBT news reveals…
Central Michigan Life news reports that the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Uniform Crime Unit has recently changed its definition of forcible rape to include males as victims, updating the definition and bringing it more in line with Michigan’s model law. The new law does not distinguish between genders and…
The Michigan Supreme Court has ruled against hearing an appeal from a sexual-assault trial where a screen was used to block a witness from seeing the man accused. At issue is whether the placement of the screen deprived the defendant of his constitutional right to confront his accuser. In a…
The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear argument next week in a case involving the confrontation clause of the Sixth Amendment. The confrontation clause generally provides the right of an accused to “confront” a witness testifying against him or her at trial by way of cross-examination. In Williams v.…
A bill making it through the Michigan state Senate seeks to expand laws making prohibiting sex between school employees and students. If passed Senate Bill 596 would make consensual sex between school employees – including teachers and administrators – to have sex with students even if the student is older…
A Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled that new testimony may be heard in the sexual assault case of Lorinda Swain. Swain is seeking a new trial on sexual assault charges after being convicted by a jury in 2002 of first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving her son. Criminal sexual conduct…
Ypsilanti news reports that police have arrested 6 men for allegedly soliciting prostitution as part of a sting conducted in Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township last week. The arrests were part of Enforcement Against Street Walking in Ypsilanti (E.A.S.Y.), a program aimed at eliminating the root causes of prostitution. Law enforcement,…
In a teen criminal sexual conduct case that has received national attention, the Quincy Board of Education met yesterday to determine whether a 17-year-old Quincy High School senior accused of statutory rape may continue playing on the varsity football teen. The 17-year-old has not been convicted of any sex crime.…
Detroit News reports that a Wayne County judge has removed a man’s name from the sex crimes registry after he successfully petitioned the court. Kenneth Thornberry, now 26, went to prison in 2005 as the result of having consensual sex with his girlfriend of two years. He was 18 and…
Thanks to much needed legislative changes, the Michigan Sex Offender registry will be adding new information concerning those individuals listed on the registry in an effort to provide a more complete picture of each person – including new information about employment, vehicle information and email addresses. News reports that the…