Logan County Common Pleas Judge Kevin P. Braig ordered defendant Michael McCleery to serve a total of 18 months in prison for sexually molesting his young daughter over a period of five years, the Logan County Prosecutor’s Office reports.
McCleery’s sentencing took place Tuesday, April 16.
March 12 following a two-day trial, it took a jury approximately 30 minutes to find the defendant guilty of two counts of gross sexual imposition, both felonies of the third degree.
The total sentencing range for these offenses is 12 months to 10 years in prison.
At trial, the victim — now 13 years old— testified that between the approximate ages of 5 and 10 years old, her non-custodial father, Michael McCleery, sexually molested her in his bed nearly every time she visited him.
Testimony from the victim, the victim’s mother, and the victim’s therapist revealed that, as a result of these years of molestation, the victim suffered post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
In an interview with detectives from the Logan County Sheriff’s Office, McCleery blamed his young daughter for instigating the sexual contact. The defendant offered no statement at his sentencing hearing.
The Logan County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office requested consecutive prison terms that reflected the seriousness of the charges and the harm caused to the victim.
The state noted that McCleery had been conducting this behavior during a significant period of time, caused incalculable harm to a small child and betrayed his duties as a father.
When confronted with his crimes, McCleery responded not with remorse, humility, or decency, but with evasion, minimizing, and victim-blaming. The state argued that McCleery has no capacity to reform his own conduct.
In pronouncing the concurrent 18-month prison terms, Judge Braig found that the victim had suffered significant harm, but noted that McCleery had no prior criminal convictions.