Featured photo: Terry Lee Horne (pictured) is a convicted defendant in a Criminal Sexual Conduct case that occurred in Flint.
Photo courtesy of the Office of the Genesee County Sheriff
Written by Tanya Terry
Cases of sexual assault involving children are “sadly all too common,” according to Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton.
Leyton said the assault can unfortunately be done by a father, stepfather, sibling or uncle.
In 2023, 317 children were seen for sexual abuse at Voices for Children, located at 515 East Street, in Flint.
Terry Lee Horne, 32, was recently found guilty of sexually assaulting his girlfriend’s 12-year-old daughter.
Horne’s girlfriend, the 12-year-old’s mother, reported the incident to authorities.
Horne is convicted of two counts of Criminal Sexual Conduct First Degree for assaults that occurred in the Spring of 2019. He will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison with the discretion of the judge to impose two consecutive 25-year minimum sentences up to a maximum of life.
According to Leyton, though the child said there were more, Horne acknowledged there were two incidents of sexual contact.
“But he tried to say the 12-year-old was the aggressor to the police,” Leyton added. “But, as my prosecutor argued, a 12-year-old can’t initiate a sexual contact. The law just doesn’t permit that.”
The Michigan Legislature enacted a law that made sexual assault of a child age 12 or younger a mandatory minimum 25-year sentence. Under 750.520b Criminal sexual conduct in the first degree; circumstances; felony; consecutive terms, Sec. 520b.: A person is guilty of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree if he or she engages in sexual penetration with a person that is under 13 years of age.
“It’s because the Legislature viewed sexual assault of a child an extraordinarily heinous crime and felt that the punishment should be severe,” said Leyton.
Leyton explained the penetration referred to in the law must refer to vaginal, anal or oral penetration. He said the incidents in this case were all issues of either vaginal or oral penetration.
Horne is being lodged in Genesee County Jail. He is scheduled to be sentenced at 2 p.m. April 29 at the Genesee County Circuit Court. There, he will go before Judge Elizabeth Kelly.
