The News Room [News Release]

Sheriff Contact: John Roach: 313-224-0615
Release Date: Friday, November 19, 2004

Confessed child molester planned to strike again before being sent away to prison --- Internet deputies bust 22-year old Midland man after series of online chats

Jonathan Poindexter knew he was going to prison. The 22-year-old Midland resident recently had pled guilty to molesting a 14-year old Ottawa County girl last year and was scheduled to be sentenced to 10 months incarceration on November 29th.

Now, Poindexter faces the likelihood of additional prison time after Wayne County sheriff’s deputies arrested him at a location they say he planned to meet what he thought was a 13-year old girl for sex. Poindexter was charged today with two counts of Illegal Use of the Internet and one count of Attempted Child Sexually Abusive Behavior, both 20-year felonies.

“According to his chats, Mr. Poindexter was counting down to the date he knew he was going to prison and planned to strike again after he was sent away,” Evans said. “This clearly was not an impulsive move on his part; it was calculated and part of a pattern of behavior. He even drove all the way from Midland for the meet.”

According to investigators, Poindexter, who owns his own small computer company, chatted with them approximately 30 times since July. In his sexually explicit conversations, Poindexter told the undercover officer of his conviction and his imminent incarceration. Evans said chat logs will show that he also intended to strike again while he was still free.

When he arrived at the downriver area meet site, Poindexter had with him a map from Midland to the meet spot. He also brought a digital camera and laptop computer, although it is unclear if he intended to videotape the encounter.

“It is extremely disturbing that, even faced with prison time, this man has not learned anything,” Evans said. “I am convinced that he would have found a real child to molest if we had not gotten to him first.”

Ottawa County Plea Agreement Withdrawn
In his first case, Poindexter met an actual 14-year-old over the Internet and drove approximately two hours from Midland, which is near Bay City, to Ottawa County on the state’s far west side. Faced with DNA evidence against him, Poindexter agreed to take a plea for a reduced sentence. The Ottawa County prosecutor, however, has withdrawn the agreement in light of Poindexter’s new troubles. He now will have to stand trial in the Ottawa case, which is likely to bring a stiffer sentence.

Poindexter is the 60th child sex predator the Wayne County Internet Crime Unit has arrested since Evans re-activated the group in January of 2003. The unit continues to maintain a 100 percent conviction rate.

Poindexter is being held on $500,000 cash bond at the Wayne County jail.

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