OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. — The Muskegon man charged with sexually assaulting a child in Ottawa County is accused in two other cases involving similar charges, authorities told FOX 17 Tuesday.
Oceana County Prosecutor Joseph Bizon said Brandon Lee Chase, currently jailed in Muskegon County, was accused of sexually assaulting a child in Colfax Township in 2021.
That case is still open and pending, Bizon said.
At that time, Chase was out free after posting bond. Later that year, on June 21, there was a hearing scheduled four days before his trial was set to begin, but Bizon said Chase never showed up.
The judge issued a bench warrant, which has remained in effect all these years.
Bizon said authorities in Oceana County had no idea where Chase was until he was arrested in Muskegon in January of this year.
Chase faces new state charges in Muskegon County of first-degree sexual assault, and faces federal charges of sexual exploitation of a child after law enforcement found explicit photos of the child on his phone.
READ MORE: Man charged for alleged sexual assault of child in Ottawa County
This now marks at least the fifth time in the last seven days FOX 17 has covered a story of this nature. We know it can be incredibly difficult to learn about children getting sexually exploited.
That's why we spoke with the Child Advocacy Center of Kent County, which exists to make sure you and your children have the right tools to recognize, report and reduce abuses.
Emily Kulhanek, an advocate at the center, told FOX 17 she wasn't surprised by the uptick in coverage. She pointed to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control that claim one-in-four girls and one-in-twelve boys will experience child sexual abuse. Also, in 91% of cases, the victim knows their abuser.
So, Kulhanek offered some things to keep in mind: Believe the child (it can be difficult for them to come forward in the first place), look out for grooming tactics (if they are getting showered with gifts, that can be a red flag), abusers tend to want to isolate the child and, of course, be mindful of any changes in your child's mental health.
If you see any of those, it might be time to open up a conversation with the right approach.
“I think parents — their first instinct is to want to follow up with that child and almost kind of interrogate because there's so much fear in that," Kulhanek said. "If we come to our kids very emotional, a kid is not necessarily going to understand that they're not going to be in trouble, or that it's not their fault, just because it's such a confusing and difficult thing to process.”
She added, "I think parents, from a very early age, should be normalizing those check-ins with their child and having that open dialogue.”
As far as resources go, Kulhanek said Okay2Say is always a great resources for reporting potential harm or criminal activities directed at students, school employees, and schools. Calling 9-8-8 will connect you with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which is available 24/7. Finally, you can always reach out the Children's Advocacy Center, where people are waiting to help.
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