Man Gets 25-Year Prison Sentence

By Taniah Tudor
Press Argus-Courier
June 18, 2012

http://www.pressargus.com/articles/2012/06/18/news/news05_061612.txt

A former Alma youth pastor was sentenced to 25 years in prison Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to seven counts of sexual assault in Crawford County Circuit Court.

Michael Brandon Lenzini, 35, of Van Buren was arrested Nov. 3 after police received reports that he had engaged in sexual conduct on multiple occasions between Oct. 1 and Nov. 3 with a girl he met through his work as a youth pastor at Crossroads Church in Alma, according to a Van Buren Police report.

Van Buren police began investigating Lenzini after receiving information from the National Child Abuse Hotline that the girl was leaving school to meet with him for sexual encounters. Police did not disclose the age of the victim.

The girl initially denied any sexual relationship with Lenzini before telling investigators that when she would leave school, Lenzini would pick her up and take her to his grandfather's house, where they engaged in sexual activity, according to a police report.

After speaking with the girl, investigators spoke with Lenzini at Crossroads, where he admitted taking the girl to his grandfather's house for sexual encounters, according to a police report.

Lenzini told police the relationship with the juvenile started as a result of his "marital issues."

Circuit Judge Gary R. Cottrell sentenced Lenzini to 25 years in a state correctional facility with 30 years suspended. Lenzini is also ordered to register as a sex offender and to complete the Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention Program.

Lenzini is not to have Internet access, nor any contact with the victim or any unsupervised contact with anyone under 18 years of age that is not related to him. He was released on a $7,500 release bond to await a bed in the state facility.