A 20-year-old Mt. Morris man has been sentenced to a minimum of 86 months (about 7 years) in prison for two counts of second degree criminal sexual conduct against a Cass City teenager.
Ethan R. Dekalita pleaded guilty to the charges, as well as a charge of accosting a child for immoral purposes, in Tuscola County court this past December. He was sentenced last Friday to a maximum of 15 years in prison for the offenses, with an assault charge and a third charge of second degree criminal sexual conduct dismissed during his December plea.
The case began in the fall of 2024 when Michigan State Troopers from the Caro Post were called to a Cass City home due to a report of a supposed 14-year-old boy allegedly abandoned by family. The Cass City family explained that the boy, calling himself Ethan, had befriended the 14-year-old daughter, and convinced her to let him visit for the day, eventually asking to stay overnight due to a family emergency.
When the girl’s mother was unable to contact Ethan’s family and several days had gone by with this mysterious boy in her home, she called 911 for help, sensing something was not right.
Troopers confirmed her suspicions, revealing that “Ethan” was actually 19-year-old Ethan R. Dekalita of Mt. Morris, who had been preying on the 14-year-old girl for some time via Snapchat.
Further investigation found that, during the time Dekalita stayed with the family, he criminally assaulted both the 14-year-old and her 12-year-old sister.
