Prosecutor: Michigan Woman Had Inappropriate Relationship Union County Juvenile

A Michigan woman is facing numerous charges after engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a Union County juvenile over the course of more than one year, according to acting Union County Prosecutor Grace H. Park.

Jessica Carlton, 44, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, is facing two counts of second-degree attempting to lure or entice a child and 12 counts of third-degree endangering the welfare of a child, authorities said.

The Union County Prosecutor’s Office’s Special Victims Unit was notified in March 2015 by a municipal police agency in the county that Carlton had recently been in contact with the victim, age 13, according to Assistant Prosecutor Colleen Ruppert. An investigation by the Special Victims Unit and the municipal police revealed Carlton first made contact with the juvenile when he was 11 years old via Xbox Live, an online multiplayer video game platform, in May 2013.

After making the initial contact, Carlton and the boy continued to play video games together online and developed a relationship, which ultimately led to including sexually explicit text messages and telephone conversations, and then the exchanging of sexually explicit photographs, according to the Union County Prosecutor’s Office. Additionally, Carlton allegedly traveled from Michigan to Union County in December 2014 to meet and bring the juvenile gifts, including clothing, debit cards and jewelry, Ruppert said.

“It’s extremely important for parents to understand that during the course of doing something that certainly might seem harmless – playing a video game online – their children could easily wind up meeting adults with dark intentions,” Prosecutor Park said. “We urge parents to remain aware of their children’s online activities and be vigilant about ensuring their safety.”

Carlton was arrested on April 9 and extradited to Union County. She is being held in Union County Jail on $225,000 bail and has been ordered to not have any contact with the victim.