A hearing has been set to determine the disposition of a Brighton Township teen convicted of sexually assaulting several girls.

The teen, who is not being named because he is a juvenile, was originally charged with 31 felonies connected to allegations that he sexually assaulted three girls. He entered into a plea deal in which he admitted to six of the charges, including first-degree criminal sexual conduct. Having served his original 45 day sentence in the Monroe County Youth Center, a hearing was held December 4th in Livingston County Juvenile Court where Referee Chelsea Thomason ruled the teen would not be released from the facility because he had not yet received a psychological evaluation, nor had a safety plan been created. Presumably those are now in place as court records show a new hearing is set for January 2nd.

The case has generated widespread publicity due to community outrage over the teen’s sentencing to include outpatient therapy, as opposed to the intensive inpatient rehabilitation that had been part of his plea agreement. However, Thomason chose to override that based on recommendations from the boy’s attorney and probation officer that residential treatment was not necessary. (JK)