By Jon King / jking@whmi.com


Prison time has been ordered for a Hartland Area youth baseball coach convicted of giving alcohol to minors and sexually assaulting them.

49-year old Joseph Frappier of Hartland Township was sentenced on Thursday in Livingston County Circuit Court to serve a term of 15 to 40 years behind bars. Frappier had originally been charged with 10 counts of Criminal Sexual Conduct and one count of Furnishing Alcohol to a Minor following his arrest last November after an investigation determined he sexually assaulted two minors at his residence on multiple occasions between 2015 and 2019. He was introduced to the victims through his position as their youth baseball coach.

Frappier entered into a plea deal with prosecutors last month in which he pleaded guilty to 1 count of Criminal Sexual Conduct 1st degree involving a relationship and one count of Criminal Sexual Conduct 4th degree with a victim between the ages of 13 and 15, in exchange for prosecutors dismissing the other 8 counts.

In addition to his prison term, Frappier must register on the sex offender registry for the rest of his life and undergo electronic monitoring.