Sumpter Township Police Officer Beth Egerer has been named Officer of the Month for July by her department for her work in getting two local sex offenders convicted.
At the July 13 meeting of the Sumpter Township Board of Trustees, Police Chief Jim Pierce said these two offenders have been brought to justice with the help of Officer Egerer’s efforts.
On June 25, 2009, Officer Egerer was dispatched to a sexual assault investigation. The victim was 12 years old and she said the offender touched her in the pool and then cornered her in the bathroom and took a video.
The man was later identified as Steven Keith Bou.
On July 8, 2009, Bou was taken into custody on a parole violation stemming from a different sexual assault that occurred in Sumpter Township.
On July 15, 2009, the police department received an approved warrant for Criminal Sexual Conduct in the second degree and Habitual 4th Offender for Bou.
Several search warrants were issued and executed by the Sumpter Police Department and the video and camera used were recovered.
On June 10, 2010, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s office went to trial with defendant Bou and he was found guilty of all charges. The Prosecutors are going to ask for a sentence of 10-30 years in prison, Chief Pierce said.
In the other case, on June 26, 2009, Officer Egerer received a fax from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office regarding a sexual assault that had occurred in Sumpter. The victims were nine and seven years old when their grandfather started sexually assaulting them.
Phillip Thomas was charged with nine counts of sexual assault. Last week, Thomas pled guilty on two counts of Criminal Sexual Assault in the First Degree and the Prosecutor is going to ask for the maximum amount of prison time, Chief Piece said.
Criminal Sexual Assault in the First Degree carries a sentence of life or any term, not less than 25 years.