Illinois man charged with on-campus sexual assault reaches plea deal
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Stanford
An Illinois man allegedly connected to an on-campus sexual assault in February pleaded guilty to reduced charges Friday in East Lansing’s 54-B District Court.
Montague Stanford, 40, of Naperville, Ill., pleaded guilty to one count of indecent exposure, a misdemeanor offense which carries a maximum charge of one year in jail and/or a $1,000 fine. The charges were reduced from one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct, which are felony charges.
The charges stem from an alleged sexual assault that occurred in a residence hall in late February, when a female MSU student said Stanford sexually assaulted her. MSU police Sgt. McGlothian-Taylor said the two had met via the Internet.
Stanford admitted in court he exposed his genital area to the victim.
Stanford’s attorney, David Carter, said it’s pretty unusual to go from a capital offense to a misdemeanor charge, however declined comment on why the charges were reduced.
Carter said his client works for the railroads in the Chicago area and is taking the charges very seriously.
“They are taking this very seriously,” Carter said. “It’s not something that he’s running from.”
Intially, Stanford was a fugitive from justice and apprehended in Illinois by police. Carter said Stanford did not know there was a warrant out for his arrest. Carter said had his client known of the warrant in question, Stanford would’ve taken care of it himself.
Sentencing for Stanford has yet to be scheduled.
Commentary
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Yikes!
(04/30/10 12:46pm)Report
What a FREAK!
40 year old going to a dorm to meet someone 20 years his junior… And he says that he takes these charges seriously?
F that. Douse this freak in gasoline and touch him off with a road flare. The world would be a better place.
@Yikes
(04/30/10 12:51pm)Report
That was a cruel comment and very uncalled for, not funny at all. BUT I do see him as a very sick man, needing to be put away. THIS is where the “D’ word has it’s place. This man should get what he DESERVES! May justice prevail!!
SIGP226
(04/30/10 1:10pm)Report
Freak?
The dude wanted to get laid.
He was invited to the girl’s dorm.
For cookies?
Imagine that.
Question
(04/30/10 3:52pm)Report
Didn’t he just show his genitals, how is that sexual assault?
Chicago
(05/01/10 8:19am)Report
He’s only Guilty of being a Man…Which is not allowed these days……..Shame on her for trying to play the Victim card…I think she just wanted some attention and it backed fired…..
FURIOUS
(05/01/10 4:36pm)Report
This is the man who was extradited from Illinois to Chicago with a 10,000 bond placed on him after he sexually assaulted a female student. And they reduce the charges to misdemeanor indecent exposure! The victim and the community should be absolutely OUTRAGED!!!
turk
(05/01/10 4:42pm)Report
^Do you know what he did? I will only make a judgment once I know specifically what he did.
No.
(05/02/10 12:04am)Report
I’m sorry, but if you are 40 and looking to be with 20 year old girls, you are nothing but an above-the-law pedophile. F that. He graduated highschool before that girl was born. If they both were 10 years older, it would be different, but WTF, this girl hasn’t even grown up yet. This guy should be put to sleep like a sick animal.
@FURIOUS and others, help.
(05/02/10 12:17am)Report
This whole thing confuses me. If he only showed his male organs why is it sexual assualt. He showed them, but didn’t use them, right? Did she know that he was 40? And was she interested any ways? Did she change her mind after he took his pants down? I don’t get this whole thing, help me out????
carcinogen
(05/02/10 2:42am)Report
prosecution trumps up the charge to sexual assault so that a plea deal could be reached without losing too much on their end.
carcinogen
(05/02/10 2:53am)Report
The prosecution holds this discretion as a bargaining chip, whereas the only genuine thing going for the defendant is the fact that the prosecutor sincerely does not want to go to trial, mainly because a trial can cost tax-payers in excess of $100,000.
Good Points
(05/02/10 9:29am)Report
Thanks fo your help carcinogen.
law
(05/02/10 1:59pm)Report
Don’t confuse “assault” with “battery”. If someone were to walk up to an unwilling participant, and expose himself specifically to that one person, that could be considered sexual “assault”.
Most of the people on this thread are commenting prematurely, as many details are left out. The age difference does not matter, from a legal standpoint. Likewise, it makes no difference whether the girl enticed him to come over or not.
If she expressed that she had changed her mind and was not interested, and he exposed himself anyway, that is most definitely a serious offense. It is never ok to do something like that once a girl has said “no,” and it doesn’t matter what kind of exchange took place before that.
But, as I mentioned, many details are left out. So this is only speculation.
m
(05/02/10 5:23pm)Report
guess she got to see “the full monty”
tough_crowd
(05/02/10 5:41pm)Report
tough_crowd
(05/02/10 5:45pm)Report
I can picture someone with notepad and pencil burning the midnight oil coming up with that 1.
OMG
(05/02/10 10:29pm)Report
I never knew that Full Monty meant that, OMG!
Full Monty
(05/02/10 10:34pm)Report
“What was it we were thinking of having made exactly?”
“Me? Oh, usual sort of thing. Start with a couple o’ lounge suits, see how they go. After that it’s the full Monty.”
“The full Monty,” Pendel repeated in awe, as memories of Uncle Benny nearly drowned him. “It must be twenty years since I heard that expression, Mr Osnard. Bless my soul. The full Monty. My goodness me.”
Hahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!
Chrissy
(05/03/10 7:46am)Report
He should learn to keep his pants zipped up. And stay away from college girls. I guess some lessons in life are learned the hard way, okay, get your mind out of the gutter everyone. I didn’t mean it that way! My gosh, what is it with you people. Oh I know we need a new Police Brief!!!! Please!!!!
Junior
(05/03/10 3:06pm)Report
Who knows….maybe he was the “thong thief”!
Good thought Junior!
(05/03/10 3:10pm)Report
Maybe he was!!! Hahaha!
dr_buzzkill
(05/03/10 3:38pm)Report
chrissy, don’t share a laugh with the same tool-bag that referred to you as a quote/unquote “country -bumpkin.”
But dr_buzzkill
(05/03/10 7:25pm)Report
At least he taught me how to properly spell Potato, I thought it was Potatoe, hahaha! I appreciate you sharing that with me dr_buzzkill. I really needed to hear something positive from you. Thank you! I am grateful:)
THAT reminds me...
(05/03/10 11:49pm)Report
I need to do a chip dip run! These withdraws are killing me.
Didn't he ever hear the word BAR?
(05/04/10 9:22am)Report
I guess not!