Huron County Sheriff Kelly Hanson announced yesterday that officers with the Tri-County Sheriff Alliance between Tuscola, Sanilac and Huron county sheriff offices had arrested two men, 66-year-old Dennis M. Bales of Port Huron and 70-year-old Dale Ignash of Filion, as part of an investigation “target[ing] those who seek sex with underage children” in Huron County.
Under the guidance of two officers with the Genesee Human Oppression Strike Team (or GHOST), officers with the Sanilac County Drug Task Force and the Bad Axe Police Department joined the three counties’ sheriff’s departments in arresting the two men separately, with a 68-year-old Lexington man being released with possible charges pending related to Port Huron’s Dennis Bales. Officers operated out of an undisclosed location in Caseville Township, with the two men engaging with officers under the belief that they were talking to underage males seeking sex online.
With younger officers serving as decoys and both suspects confirming they were at the sting house to have sex with an underage male, the arrests were made on Wednesday, August 17, with evidence like cell phone, cash, vehicles and more being seized and subjected to forfeiture.
Bales and Ignash were arraigned on three felony charges related to sex involving minors. 66-year-old Bales is currently still lodged on a $200,000 cash bond, with 70-year-old Ignash being released after his bond was amended from $50,000 bond to a $10,000 or 10% bond. Bales’ bond had been $50,000 at first, but likely due to past sex related convictions and him being on the Michigan Sex Offender Registry, his bond was increased four-fold.
While further investigation into these cases continue, the Tri-County Sheriff Office Alliance are already planning the next operation of this kind. This is the third investigation of this kind by the alliance, with their second one finishing up over a month ago, that resulted in the arrest of three men on August 12. All three men were released following their bond being reduced, a move that confused many in the Thumb Area, including Tuscola County Prosecutor Tim Rutkowski.
