Copyright CBS News
A 22-year-old man accused of having "sexual encounters" with a 14-year-old girl has pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office said Friday. Prosecutors said Charles Laurence Willis of Northville, Michigan, began dating the Roseville, Michigan, girl in 2023. Willis claimed to be 16 years old to the girl and her mother. According to the prosecutor's office, Willis, who was 21 years old at the time, had sexual relations with the girl "several times." He faces up to 15 years in prison, will be required to register as a Tier III sex offender, must submit to HIV testing and have no contact with the girl, the prosecutor's office said. Willis is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 22. "Protecting young people from exploitation and ensuring adults are held responsible for their choices is essential to the safety and integrity of our community," Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido said in a written statement on Friday. Willis, in May, was accused by Wayne County prosecutors of kidnapping and sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl after enticing her via social media to travel more than two hours away from her home. He faces nine charges, including kidnapping, child sexually abusive activity and first-degree criminal sexual conduct, in connection with the incident. A trial is scheduled to start on March 30, officials said. General Sites for information related to sexual assault and resources throughout Michigan: Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence (MCEDSV) General Sexual Assault Websites:
