A Clarkston man faces up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges following his arrest when he attempted to meet who he thought was a 14-year-old girl for sex.
Roderick Duane Gronlund, 48, pled guilty in Macomb County Circuit Court to one count of illegal use of the internet to commit a child sexually abusive activity, said Chad Davis, chief of the cyber crime unit with the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office.
According to Davis, four other charges stemming from the same transgression will be dropped. In addition to up to 20 years in prison, Gronlund will enter the sex offender registry, said Davis.
Gronlund was arrested on Sept. 27 by officers of the Macomb Area Computer Enforcement team (M.A.C.E.) after he arrived at a prearranged location for sex with who he believed to be a 14-year-old girl.
The ‘girl? was actually a Macomb County Sheriff’s Office reserve officer on the Internet portraying himself as a minor. According to a press release from the MCSO issued after the arrest, Gronlund initiated the on-line chat with the officer and made the arrangements to meet.
Once Gronlund arrived at the location, officers from the M.A.C.E. unit and uniformed Macomb County Sheriff deputies arrested him.
‘The M.A.C.E. unit was created for the enforcement of these type of crimes. I think the unit is keeping people accountable,? said Davis.
Gronlund was charged with two counts of child sexually abusive activity, two counts use of a computer communicating with another to commit a crime/felony and one count of accosting a child for immoral purposes, stated the original press release.
According to the Macomb County Circuit Court Web site, Gronlund’s sentencing is set for Feb. 7 at 9 a.m. before Judge Richard Caretti.