Boy, 16, admits to molesting girl, 8
A 16-year-old boy who molested a girl half his age earlier this year will remain in juvenile custody until his 19th birthday.
The defendant, Michael W. Stokes, admitted to a juvenile petition charging two counts of rape. He was sentenced by Juvenile Court Judge Larry Ross to remain in the custody of the Department of Youth Development until his 19th birthday, which is the maximum sentence the youth could have received under juvenile law. He must also complete a residential sexual offender program and undergo anger management classes during his stay in juvenile custody.
Stokes faces the term for sexually molesting an 8-year-old girl.
According to District Attorney General Dale Potter, prosecutors decided not to try Stokes as an adult given the circumstances of the case and due to recommendations by psychological professionals. If he had been transferred, he could have faced 15 to 25 years in prison for the same crime. To transfer Stokes, a transfer hearing would have been held before Judge Ross during which prosecutors would have had to show transfer was in the best interest of the community and that other avenues of juvenile rehabilitation had been exhausted.
“This was the recommendation of those who evaluated him,” Potter said. “We figured, given the recommendations and the circumstances of the case that this would be the best route to go.”
Potter said similar cases have been settled in the same manner recently, including two recent Van Buren County cases involving juvenile defendants in child rape cases.