In June of this year, 47-year-old William P. Reehl of Bay City allegedly raped a woman after the two, who had met a couple of days earlier, went to a Monitor Township motel to get high on crack. The alleged victim said that she had been “clean” for several months, and that she did not consent to having sex with Reehl. The defendant is facing several charges including unlawful imprisonment, possession of a narcotic or cocaine fewer than 25 grams, and four counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct causing injury.
The 34-year-old woman testified in court that she met up with Reehl at his home on June 5.. The two then went to a motel, where she said that Reehl began smoking crack rock from a pipe. She alleges that he then became aggressive, and that he would not let her leave. She also alleged that Reehl forced her to smoke the cocaine, and that she suffered injuries. Eventually the victim ran from the room after grabbing her clothes and began walking in the direction of her home. A woman picked her up and drover the victim to her home, then called 911 after Reehl allegedly called her house phone. She was taken to McLaren By Region Hospital and claimed to have multiple bruises.
News articles at Mlive.com state that the defendant was shaking his head in disagreement throughout the woman’s testimony.
Reehl was scheduled to go on trial October 22, however Bay County Circuit Judge Joseph K. Sheeran adjourned the trial date, rescheduling it for March of next year. In the meantime, Reehl will submit to drug testing and will wear an electronic monitoring device after the judge released him on a personal recognizance bond.
First-degree criminal sexual conduct is the most serious of all sex-related offenses, leaving the accused to potentially face life in prison if convicted. In this situation, it is difficult to know what really happened considering the alleged victim had been a drug addict and went to the motel room with the defendant willingly. Perhaps if Reehl has been falsely accused his attorney will be able to dig through to the truth and have his client found not guilty of the charges.
Anyone who has been accused of sexual assault, rape, or any related crime should take action immediately. Consult with a Michigan sex crimes defense attorney who will work to protect you from life-changing criminal penalties.