Branch man found guilty of sex crimes against teen girl.

Rose, left, with his attorney David Glancy.

#MasonCountyNews #MasonCountyCourts

By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief.

LUDINGTON — A 37-year-old Branch Township man was found guilty by a jury Wednesday on four criminal sexual conduct-related counts. The victim was a 15-year-old girl. Charles Clayton Rose, 479 S. Tyndall Rd., was arrested Nov. 1, 2015 by Mason County Sheriff’s Office and charged initially with first degree criminal sexual conduct (CSC) and second degree CSC. Additional charges included accosting a child for immoral purposes and use of a computer, accosting a minor for immoral purposes. 

On March 15, Mason County Prosecutor Paul Spaniola offered Rose a plea agreement in a 51st Circuit Court hearing. In the plea, Rose could plead guilty to three counts (excluding the computer count) and serve a minimum of 70 months to a maximum of 30 years prison with lifetime electronic monitoring and sex offender registration.Rose rejected the plea and chose to take the case to trial.

The three day jury trial ended Wednesday with Rose being found guilty on all four counts. First degree CSC is punishable by life in prison with the possibility of parole; second degree CSC is punishable by up to 15 years in prison; use of a computer, accosting a minor for immoral purposes is punishable by up to 10 years in prison; and accosting a minor for immoral purposes is punishable by up to four years in prison.

Rose is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Susan Sniegowski on September 6 at 2 p.m.