June 23, 2011 Former Michigan security guard heads to prison guilty of sex charges www.privateofficer.com
KENT COUNTY, Mich. June 23 2011 – In Kent County, a former school security guard is now a criminal, and he’s headed to prison after being sentenced Tuesday on sex charges.
The case started in 2010 in the Godwin Heights school district, where a school security guard was accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a 16-year-old student. On Tuesday, we learned that man’s punishment.
For years Ken Franks was the man who made sure students were safe from predators and other dangers in school, on Tuesday the judge called him a predator.
“Parents and students had the right to expect you would be protective of them and not be a predator to them,” said Judge Paul Sullivan, “while predator is a strong word, that’s what you did in this particular instance.”
Ken Franks, the former head of security, pleaded guilty to two felony counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct. He will now be heading to prison for three and a half to fifteen years.
Franks apologized in court, but had the judge read his statement.
“While I wish I could go back and change my actions,” read the judge, “God has allowed me to take this negative event and change my life for the better.”
As the judge read that statement, one of the victim’s loved ones muttered “liar.”
Court records indicate that the contact between Franks and the student happened on school grounds, at a time when Franks was supposed to be protecting students. Franks’ attorney didn’t have an explanation for his client’s actions as he walked away to prison.
“Like he said, he stepped up what he had to do, he didn’t duck and dodge, he stood up and plead guilty to what he did,” said defense attorney John Beason. “To me he’s a nice guy who had a lapse in judgment and he’s paying for it.”
Because Franks doesn’t have a criminal history, his sentence was lighter than it could have been, by at least three and a half years.
Source:NEWSCHANNEL 3
Tags: Ken Franks
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