Michigan Sex Crime Attorneys Blog
In March of this year, we wrote about a former Byron Center teacher and girls’ basketball coach who had been accused of sexual assault. Now, 42-year-old Glenn Robert Davis has been sentenced, his alleged victim pleading for the judge’s mercy in sentencing Davis.
On Thursday October 10, Davis was sentenced to between six and 30 years in prison by Kent County Circuit Court Judge Dennis Leiber. Davis pleaded guilty to a single count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in September, although he was initially charged with three counts of CSC.
The relationship between Davis and the teenage girl began as a friendship, and then developed into a sexual relationship according to a news article at Mlive.com. The defendant watched the girl as she spoke in the courtroom on Thursday, telling him that she still cared for him, and that she knew God has something special planned for Davis. The victim also wrote two letters pleading for the judge’s mercy when sentencing Davis, which Judge Leiber read.
The friendship began in September of 2012 when the teacher and basketball coach met the victim during her freshman year; she was a student in Davis’s math class. At some point, Davis and his student engaged in sexual activity at Davis’s home where he lived with his wife and two young children. The two allegedly had sex in a camper.
The victim wrote in the letters to Judge Leiber that Davis was an “amazing man,” and that he never hurt or pressured her, and was not a pedophile. She went on to say that she was fighting on his behalf, and that she loved and cared about the defendant “more than anything else in this world.”
Davis told the victim during the hearing that he had turned her world upside down, and betrayed her trust. He apologized to the girl’s family, and asked the judge for mercy. According to Davis, he is designing a program educating people about the law, appropriate relationships between teachers and students, and how media and the Internet have resulted in students who are maturing at a faster rate.
Had Davis not pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree CSC, he may have faced up to life in prison had he been convicted by a jury. Michigan sex crime defense attorneys understand the seriousness of these types of charges, and the harsh criminal penalties those accused face. In addition, those facing sexual assault accusations suffer for the rest of their lives, many required to register as sex offenders. Reputations and careers are often ruined.
If you have been arrested for any sex-related crime including sexual assault, rape, or child molestation, it is imperative to discuss your situation with a capable and experienced Michigan sex crime lawyer right away.