BURTON, Mich. – A former Michigan police officer tried to pay $125 to have sex with a 15-year-old girl in Genesee County, officials said.
Jeffrey David Morningstar, 60, was arrested during a July 16 sting by the Genesee Human Oppression Strike Team.
What happened
Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson said Morningstar showed up to Burton because he thought a trafficker was selling a 15-year-old girl.
“He wanted to pay the trafficker $125 to have sex,” Swanson said. “He knocked on the door and GHOST answered. Has he done it to someone who wasn’t with GHOST?”
The Genesee County Prosecutor’s Office authorized charges against Morningstar for child sexually abusive activity, using a computer to commit a crime, and accosting a child for immoral purposes.
Swanson held a briefing about the case on Thursday, Aug. 8, and called for Morningstar to turn himself in to police.
Morningstar turned himself in at the 67th District Court around 12:30 p.m. Thursday.
He was granted a $44,000 personal recognizance bond. If released, he can’t have contact with any children.
Swanson encouraged anyone who has been victimized to come forward.
Police background
Swanson said Morningstar went to the police academy in Detroit but never made it to the streets.
He transferred to Millington, where he worked for six years in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He also worked part-time for the Clio Police Department for about 18 months.
Morningstar moved to Florida and worked in the Longboat Key Police Department for 12 years. He was promoted to sergeant in 2014.
At the time of the sting, he was not an active police officer. Swanson said it’s not clear why his employment with the Longboat Key Police Department ended.