Child Sexual Abuse Case Heads to Circuit Court

By Thomas Franz
C and G News
July 14, 2015

http://www.candgnews.com/news/child-sexual-abuse-case-heads-circuit-court-84759

Joseph Sturza is pictured during a hearing on July 8 at 42-A District Court in Romeo. (Photo by Thomas Franz)

The case of a former employee at a local catholic high school is heading to Macomb County Circuit Court.

Joseph Sturza, a former director of admissions at Austin Catholic High School in Ray Township and a former youth minister at St. Isidore Catholic Church in Macomb Township, is charged with four felony counts: child sexual abuse activity, accosting a child for immoral purposes, and two counts of using a computer to communicate with a minor in order to commit a crime.

On July 8, Sturza and his defense conditionally waived his right to a preliminary exam at district court 42-A District Court in Romeo.

“We appear to have a resolution of this matter that will be entered in at circuit court, but in the event that plea is not entered, then we would ask that this court agree to conditionally waive this matter,” prosecuting attorney William Harding said.

Judge Denis LeDuc said that the conditional waiver was unusual for him, and that Sturza would be giving up his right to a preliminary exam except for the condition.

“It’s very unusual for me to do, but given the nature of the case, and I have extremely senior attorneys here with experience on both sides of the aisle, I agree to go along with it,” LeDuc said.

During a hearing in May, a sergeant with the Macomb County Sheriff’s Department and Macomb Area Computer Enforcement team provided background into the department’s investigation of Sturza.

The Sheriff’s Office received a complaint from the Archdiocese of Detroit offices on Nov. 19, 2014, regarding an employee at Austin Catholic possibly having inappropriate contact with a student through use of a computer.

After a week of interviews with the student’s parents and searches of Sturza’s offices and home were completed, deputies arrested Sturza on Nov. 26.

Sturza’s pretrial arraignment is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on July 20 at Macomb County Circuit Court in Mount Clemens.