Michigan sex offender sentenced to 15 years in prison after preying on children again
DEARBORN, Mich (FOX 2) - A man already on the Michigan Sex Offender Registry for preying on children is headed to prison for enticing a teen to send him nude photos.
Anthony John-Hamernik Girard, 32, of Dearborn, was sentenced this week to 15 years in prison after admitting that he requested photos of sexually explicit content from a 16-year-old girl. That girl sent him a sexual photo, authorities said. He also told the girl he "kinda" wished she was younger.
These messages were found after an investigation that began in Perrysburg, Ohio when Girard sent sexually explicit messages to who he believed was a teen girl but was actually an undercover police officer. According to court records, Girard met the undercover detective on chat website Omegle then sent them an Instagram page, so they could continue their conversation.
The two chatted on Instagram, and Girard asked if the girl was a virgin and wanted a photo. The detective sent a picture that was age-regressed and appeared to be a minor girl.
He then asked for nude photos, but the detective declined, saying a friend had sent nudes and gotten into trouble. He then said he deletes pictures, asked if she was on birth control, and then asked if she would want him to wear a condom if they had sex.
The details of the conversation got significantly more graphic with Girard discussing sexual acts with the detective. He eventually sent a sexually explicit photo.
From this investigation, police discovered that Girard had spoken to other minors, including telling a 13-year-old that she was "beautiful" before she told him that she wanted no further contact with him.
Girard is a registered sex offender who was originally charged with three counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct with a student and wound up pleading guilty to aggravated indecent exposure.
Girard had been a student monitor at a high school in Dearborn when he met a 16-year-old girl is the special education class. According to the police report, he was in a sexual relationship with the girl and drove her to different locations to engage in sexual activity.
"A prior conviction that resulted in a designation as a sex offender did not prevent this offender from lurking online and exploiting a minor. This sentence demonstrates that recidivist offenders who engage in online exploitation will receive significant penalties to keep our children safe." U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison said.