Southfield man charged with criminal sexual conduct after allegedly molesting minors
Metro Detroit man charged in allegedly assaulting two young children
On May 5, Southfield police received a call from the parents of two kids under the age of 10 who were reporting they had been assaulted. They told police a family member had sexually assaulted their daughter two days earlier, in the morning of May 3.
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (FOX 2) - Southfield Police recommended first-degree criminal sexual conduct charges against an Oakland County man accused of violating two minors.
Lawrence Miles, 69, is related to the two children he allegedly assaulted, the police chief said.
Timeline:
On May 5, Southfield police received a call from the parents of two kids under the age of 10 who were reporting they had been assaulted.
They told police a family member had sexually assaulted their daughter two days earlier, in the morning of May 3.
On May 7, officers with the Southfield Tactical Crime Suppression Unit visited Miles' home and took him into custody.
Miles has a preliminary exam scheduled for May 26.
Lawrence Miles taken into custody by Southfield police on May 7
Dig deeper:
Parents learned of Miles' conduct after their son told them he had touched his sister inappropriately.
According to Southfield Police Chief Elvin Barren, Miles had manipulated the children by telling them if they spoke to their parents about his behavior, they could not be able to spend time together.
"…obviously, taking advantage of the fact that the children loved him and like to spend time with him," the chief said during a press conference Friday.
Barren commended the boy's courage to speak to his parents in the hope of protecting his sister.
Miles was charged with three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct. A conviction of the charges comes with a minimum of 25 years in prison.
He was also denied bond and remains in jail.
Lawrence Miles, 69, of Oakland County
Why you should care:
Miles has no criminal record, leading police to believe this may be the first time he was caught in connection with the disturbing allegations.
Barren said another family member is expected to come forward with details of an additional sexual assault. He added police believe there may be more victims because Miles has worked in the education field in various states.
Before moving to Michigan, he worked with children in Kansas, Georgia, and Illinois.
"Children deserve to grow up safe from abuse, including from family members," prosecutor Karen McDonald said in a statement. "I applaud the work of our partners at the Southfield Police Department and CARE House of Oakland County for their diligent investigation into this tragic case."
Anyone with additional information about Miles or other victims is asked to contact law enforcement.
The Source: Information reported in this story came from a Southfield Police press conference.