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Michigan teens sentenced as juveniles in sex video case

On Behalf of | May 17, 2017 | Sex Crimes |

In Michigan, children as young as 14 can be charged with a sex crime. That is what happened to two teenagers who pleaded guilty to multiple charges related to a cellphone video depicting one of them having sex.

Despite the defendants’ youth, they could have been sentenced as adults. The Detroit Free Press reports that the judge overseeing their case was considering sentencing the boys to up to 20 years in prison. Following hearings on May 10, the judge sentenced the two to juvenile rehabilitation facilities the Lansing State Journal reports.

Youthful defendants

The defendants are 15 and 14. They were charged after police obtained a video on the younger boy’s cellphone. The video appeared to show the older boy having sex with a 12-year-old girl. The video was then distributed to an unknown number of other minors.

Juvenile sentence

The sentence removes the possibility of the boys being imprisoned with adults, but it is not a slap on the wrist. The juvenile system focuses on rehabilitation. The judge said she would check on the boys’ progress in six months. Any serious mistakes would result in prison time, she warned. And if they are released before their 21st birthdays, they will go on probation.

Help your child after an arrest

As a parent, it is natural for you to be afraid for your child if he or she is ever arrested or charged with a crime. When that happens, your child needs the best available legal defense. There are nearly always options, and it may be possible for your son or daughter to avoid being sentenced as an adult.