Milton Wells was known for his service to the Kalamazoo community, as a man of God.
But in truth, he brought about hell in the lives of two young girls.
That’s what the mother of one of the two girls told a judge Friday who sentenced Wells, 63, to a minimum of seven years in prison for second- and third-degree criminal sexual conduct.
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“He would preach and teach holiness but try to create hell in the lives of these children,” the mother of one of the girls said Friday in Kalamazoo County Circuit Court.
“He would preach a sermon on Sunday morning but know that the day before he had taken my child to the movies and touched her.” Wells headed the Open Door Ministries Church of God in Christ in Kalamazoo until 2010 when the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office began investigating him. He also previously held other leadership positions, including as coordinator for the county’s Michigan Prisoner Re-entry Initiative.
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He pleaded guilty in May to one count each of second-degree criminal sexual conduct and third-degree criminal sexual conduct. Two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and seven counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct were dismissed.
At his hearing, Wells’ attorney, John Beason, asked Berrien County Circuit Judge Sterling R. Schrock to sentence Wells to no more than five years behind bars. Schrock was assigned to preside over the case after the four circuit judges in Kalamazoo County disqualified themselves from hearing the case because they formerly served on local boards with Wells and Wells is a personal friend of one of the judges.
Wells told Schrock on Friday that he was sorry for his actions against the two girls who were both younger than 13.
Source: Kalamazoo’s MLive TVnews
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