Victim asks judge for leniency

A former Cassopolis man who sexually assaulted a teenage girl will spend the next several years in prison.

James Willis, 50, was sentenced Monday in Berrien County Trial Court in Niles to a minimum of four years in the Michigan Department of Corrections on the charge of criminal sexual conduct in the second degree.

According to court documents, Willis assaulted the victim while giving her a ride in a vehicle on two separate occasions between November 2012 and April 2013.

One incident took place near a party store on Old US 31 and Dean’s Hill Road in Berrien Township. Another occurred near a Berrien Springs church.

“You took advantage of a child who was 15 years old,” said Judge Dennis Wiley before handing down the sentence.

Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Amy Byrd said people need to be protected from Willis, even though the victim asked the court to be lenient on him.

Wiley said the victim didn’t appear to have sustained long-term trauma or psychological effects based on what she had written in her victim impact statement.

Willis apologized for his actions.

He gets credit for 28 days already served and must pay $2,316 in fines and costs. He must also register as a sex offender.

He was listed as living in Elkhart, Indiana.

Also Monday, the sentencing hearing for Matthew Eldon Ridenour was adjourned for two weeks. He was charged with operating a vehicle with a suspended license.