Internet Crimes Against Children Blog: Internet sex charge sends man to prison

Jonathan Poindexter, 22, who had sex with a 14-year-old Park Township girl after meeting her on the Internet was sentenced Monday to a minimum 40 months in prison.

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A Midland man who had sex with a 14-year-old Park Township girl after meeting her on the Internet was sentenced Monday to a minimum 40 months in prison.

Jonathan Poindexter, 22, was sentenced on a charge of third-degree criminal sexual conduct for the 2003 encounter he had with the teen.

Police described Poindexter as a predator because he solicited a supposed 13-year-old Wayne County girl on the Internet last summer. After numerous online chats with the girl, he arranged to meet her in November in southeast Michigan.

He quickly found out the teen did not exist and he had been corresponding with a detective with the Wayne County sheriff's Internet crimes task force all along. Police arrested Poindexter after he arrived at the meeting place.

Poindexter met the Park Township teen in a Yahoo! chat room. He eventually arranged to meet her at a local park, then took her to the Holland Econo Lodge for sex.

During the meeting, he took several digital photos of the girl, including a nude photo inside the room. After the girl did not return home until the next morning, her parents discovered the encounter and police arrested Poindexter.

Poindexter's case in Ottawa County dragged out for months, but he ultimately pleaded no contest to second-degree criminal sexual conduct in October. Ottawa County prosecutors learned of the Wayne County arrest before his scheduled sentencing and negotiated with Poindexter's attorney to have him enter a new plea that carries a tougher sentence.

Prosecutors argued Poindexter violated his earlier plea deal by engaging in further criminal conduct.

Ottawa County Circuit Judge Calvin Bosman sentenced Poindexter to 40 to 180 months Monday and recommended that he receive counseling while in prison.