child abuse

The Calhoun County Prosecutor's Office will seek an open murder charge for a Battle Creek man already charged with child abuse.

What is really going on?

A 25 year old Battle Creek woman is being charged with abuse and assaults against twin sisters in her care. She is the step mother of the children.

Renk: Some sanity actually made its way into a court room.

Dawson Burk was arraigned on charges in two separate cases; he was first charged with two first-degree criminal sexual conduct counts for the alleged rape of the 12-year-old.

At the sentencing hearing Judge John Hallacy let his own feelings be known, calling him a “sick individual” and saying that “you are the kind of person we are all frightened of for our kids”.

It's unclear if this ruling will prompt the Calhoun County Prosecutor's Office to get ready for a new trial, or to potentially drop charges.

Police were contacted Saturday morning by the 16-year-old girl and her mother; the girl says that she had been standing when she initially thought the man bumped into her.

A former Athens High School teacher will not be able to defend himself against accusations of sexually assaulting a student of his by claiming the girl was a willing participant.

According to the Michigan State Police, their investigation revealed that the Reverend Strick Strickland from the Second Baptist Church paid four victims under the age of 17 to have sex with him at his family home.