Michael David Vance, 35, of Pewamo is currently in Oakland County Jail awaiting further court action on six charges of first degree criminal sexual conduct and two charges of second degree criminal sexual conduct with an eight year old girl.
Vance lived at a residence on Axford Street in the Village of Lake Orion where the sexual assaults allegedly took place.
“Our investigation showed the victim and her mother lived with Vance on Axford from September 2000 through the end of March 2001,” Lake Orion Police Chief Jerry Narsh said
The village police were alerted to allegations of Vance’s sexual misconduct a few weeks ago. An investigator from Flint’s Child Protection Agency told local police a report was filed that a 10 year old girl had told a friend she had been assaulted repeatedly by her mother’s boyfriend while she lived in Lake Orion.
According to Narsh, within days of the last assault, the child told her mother about the attacks in a letter.
“The child’s mother tried to convince her she dreamt the whole thing,” he added. “The mother threw the note away. The child complained since that time but the mom did nothing. It wasn’t until she couldn’t keep silent and told her friend that the friend’s mother got involved.”
According to Narsh, the victim’s mother has refused to cooperate with his investigation even though Vance threw her out shortly after the alleged incidents took place.
“She even tried to get back with him a month later,” he added.
Without the assistance of the mother, village police pursued other sources to obtain necessary information.
“During that investigation, it was determined that Vance met the mother through the Internet. She lived in Davison. To further frustrate the investigation, we learned that just a few weeks before (our arrest), Vance had been arraigned on one count of second degree criminal sexual conduct involving an eight year old in Orion Township,” Narsh said.
The mother of the township victim had also met him on the Internet.
“If the mother (from Davison) had disclosed her daughter’s attacks, the second child wouldn’t have been a victim,” Narsh said.
“My concern is there are other women in the area who met and dated Vance while he was in the area. There could be other victims who have been told to keep quiet.”
“This is the face of the bump in the night that all children fear. It’s no crime in Michigan for the larceny of innocence — and that’s exactly what that man did.”
Troopers in Ionia County arrested Vance and he was arraigned in Rochester’s 3/2 District Court on Nov. 7. He had been out on a $5,000 bond after being arraigned for the Orion Township incident.
This time Vance was arraigned on a $50,000 cash bond.
The mother of the victim is now married and living in Davison.
The victim, along with a sibling, was removed from her home by the family court in Flint and is living in Davison with her grandmother.
“She’s been very supportive,” Narsh said.
Vance’s pre-exam conference was set for this week at the district courthouse. He could face up to life for the CSC 1st degree charges and up to 15 years for the CVC 2nd degree charges.
Narsh said if anyone has any concerns about other possible victims of sexual assault, his department can be notified at 248-693-8321.