'Gifted predator' pleads guilty to sexual contact with 12-year-old girl

Michael Breazeale, The Record-Eagle, Traverse City, Mich.
·2 min read
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Jun. 8—TRAVERSE CITY — A former Traverse City man pleaded guilty in Grand Traverse County Circuit Court Friday to two counts of criminal sexual conduct involving a 12-year-old girl.

The victim's parents watched in the courtroom as 22-year-old Bryce Wilmoth, now living in Southeastern Michigan, admitted to fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, which involves having sexual contact with a minor.

After the court proceeding, the parents told the Record-Eagle that, for several years, they had trusted Wilmoth as a caregiver for their two adopted children. It was a relationship that began after he allegedly saved their son, then 11 years old, from drowning in November 2019.

"We thought he was a safe person," the father said. "He's very good at manipulation."

In a hearing that lasted less than seven minutes, Wilmoth, now living in Southeastern Michigan, admitted to the charges, which carry a maximum prison sentence of two years. He also will be required to register as a sex offender under Tier 1 of the Public Sex Offender Registry.

One of the incidents occurred on Jan. 23, 2022, when Wilmoth was watching the victim and her brother at his parents' house. He allegedly put the victim to bed, lay down with her, and "touched her buttocks for a sexual purpose," according to court documents.

The second incident occurred in Peninsula Township in the spring of 2022 when Wilmoth was watching the victim and her brother while their parents were out of town on a couple's retreat.

The victim, who had recently turned 12, was sleeping alone when she became frightened. She went to Wilmoth's bed, where he allegedly "touched her buttocks for a sexual purpose," the charge states.

Wilmoth was originally charged with three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person under 13, as well as two counts of selling/furnishing alcohol to a minor.

In exchange for accepting county Prosecutor Noelle Moeggenberg's plea offer, these previous charges against him will be dismissed.

The victim's parents said the two counts he pleaded guilty to were among a series of more serious criminal offenses that he committed against their children.

The victim's mother, who works as a therapist, called Wilmoth a "gifted predator" and a "calculated menace."

"My daughter is in a boarding school now, to keep her safe," her father said. "The residual trauma [Wilmoth] has caused cannot be understated, and yet he's still out there, just living his life."

Judge Kevin Elsenheimer accepted the guilty plea Friday. A sentencing date in this case has not yet been set.