Michigan Sex Crime Attorneys Blog
In September, we wrote about 44-year-old William Meni, a Gwinn man who had been charged with eight counts for the alleged sexual abuse of three children who were younger than 13 years old at the time the sexual abuse occurred.
The alleged sexual assaults took place in 1995 & 1996, 2007 through 2008, and in 2012 according to news reports at Uppermichiganssource.com. Approximately one week after we wrote about the case, a Marquette jury found Meni guilty on seven of the counts which include first- and second-degree criminal sexual conduct.
On November 8, Meni was sentenced to a minimum of 30 years in prison; he could spend up to 75 years behind bars. Two of the alleged victims testified at trial; one of the girls said that among other things, Meni performed oral sex on her as she was sleeping on a couch. Another girl said that she never revealed the sexual abuse until she was a teenager, playing “truth or dare” with some friends who urged her to tell her mother. When she did, her mother asked her if she wanted to report it to police. The defense dwelled on the fact that the girl’s mother had left it up to her daughter whether to report the assault. The girl said that among other incidents, Meni had performed sexual intercourse with her.
First-degree criminal sexual conduct is the most serious of all sex crimes. The maximum penalty for those convicted is life in prison. Considering Meni will spend 30 to 75 years in prison, he will be in his mid 70s before there is any possibility for his release, if he only serves 30 years.
Anyone who has been accused of sexual assault, rape, possession of child pornographic material, or any sex-related crime must speak with a highly experienced Michigan sex crime defense lawyer immediately. The penalties are extremely harsh, and often life-changing. Take action at once for the best chance of avoiding a conviction and the resulting criminal penalties.