Michigan Judge Gets Prison Time In 'Sexual Torture' Case

MONROE COUNTY, MI — A former Monroe County judge who pleaded guilty earlier this year to hiring women for sex was sentenced Thursday to 1-5 years in prison. He also has to pay fines and complete a sex offender program.

Authorities said that Judge Jarod Calkins had women meet him at a hotel to engage in sexual activity for money. Calkins, 41, of Carleton, was charged with four counts of hiring women for the purpose of prostitution and one count of transporting a person for the purpose of prostitution.

Prosecutors have called it a "sexual torture case."

The sentencing started out with a victim's advocate reading an impact statement from one of the women, who said she met Calkins after he posted that he was a sugar daddy online on the website OKCupid and Tinder. She said she met him at the age of 21 in 2015, but that his profile had no photos of his face and he didn't want to be in public together.

"I was told I looked 15 or 16," the woman said. "He enjoyed calling me 'little girl' and enjoyed me calling him 'daddy.'"

The woman said during a role playing event during sex that he "electrocuted" her and left "welts" by whipping her. He then left her $100 on the table, she said. She later added that he said he liked making her cry during the sexual acts.

"He treated me like a slave or an animal," a second victim shared, telling a story of her being shackled, choked and physically abused. "Imagine a man who's 6-foot-4 hitting you as hard as he could."

Calkins resigned from the Monroe County First District Court in June and pleaded guilty to four felony counts of misconduct in office. Each charge carried a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Calkins spoke about a dark place and "void" in his life, saying he has been in therapy and "explored avenues of treatment."

"I stand here before you today in a much different place," he said during the sentencing.

Prosecutors fired back saying he was acting like the victim of these crimes spurred by his "misogynistic pleasure."

The judge said he would have sentenced him the same if he wasn't a judge, but did not pass up the opportunity to comment on his position of authority.

"You took the same oath I did," the judge told Calkins at the sentencing, "And that was the duty to serve the public and not misuse it."

Catkins was elected to the Michigan First Judicial Court in 2014 and his term would have ended at the end of 2020.

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