MANTON, Mich. – A Manton man was sentenced to prison recently for sexually assaulting two minors, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Monday.
Nathan Helsel, 26, was sentenced Oct. 6 to five to 15 years in prison and lifetime sex offender registration, following plea deals in the two cases earlier this year.
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Helsel pleaded guilty in July to one count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, involving a person between the ages of 13 and 15, a felony carrying up to 15 years in prison. As part of this plea, four charges of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct were dismissed at sentencing.
He also pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, multiple variables, carrying up to 15 years in prison at sentencing. A charge of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct was dropped at sentencing as part of this plea.
The plea deals, which were entered in Wexford County 28th Circuit Court, allow for the two sentences to be served concurrently.
“Sexual assaults are serious crimes and my office will not shy away from holding these predators accountable for their actions,” Nessel said. “I am proud of the work my prosecutors have done to bring a swift resolution to this case, and one that ensures prison time for the defendant, and I am grateful for the victims, who showed tremendous bravery and strength in coming forward to speak out against these crimes. They displayed great courage in a difficult situation and we must all do what we can to ensure criminal acts like these do not go unpunished.”
Helsel’s charges stemmed from incidents that occurred between September 2018 and July 2019 in Wexford County’s Cedar Creek Township. The case was referred to the Attorney General’s office by the Wexford County Prosecutor’s Office due to a conflict of interest with one of the victims.