33rd Circuit Court Judge Roy C. Hayes III sentenced Jamie Michael Jacklyn, 31, East Jordan, to serve five to 15 years in prison after he was convicted earlier of criminal sexual conduct in the second degree.

Jacklyn was convicted on April 21, 2022 following a two and a half-day jury trial. The jury was deadlocked and unable to reach a verdict on three counts of criminal sexual conduct, first degree.

At trial, witnesses heard testimony that Jacklyn, then 29 years old, engaged in sexual activity with a 12-year-old in 2020 on numerous occasions.

After the jury reached its verdict, and after Jacklyn was taken into custody, he escaped from a court officer and attempted to run from the courtroom. He was caught and detained by other police officers and court personnel.

At sentencing, Charlevoix County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Mary Farrell spoke about the trauma that the child victim had suffered. She also indicated that the victim had been further traumatized in seeing the defendant break away from police and run toward the spectators, including her, in the courtroom.

Jacklyn’s defense attorney, Edward Engstrom, argued that the victim had not been affected by the sexual assaults or the defendant’s courtroom actions.

Hayes responded by pointing out that the 29-year-old Jacklyn had engaged in predatory behavior, treating the 12-year-old like she was his “girlfriend.” The judge also noted that in these types of cases, the effects often last a survivor’s entire life.

Farrell indicated that she had spoken with jurors who indicated that they were deadlocked 11-1 in favor of conviction on the more serious charges of criminal sexual conduct, first degree. Farrell’s comments were in response to Engstrom’s arguments regarding what the jury had and had not decided with their verdict.

Jacklyn may still face retrial on the criminal sexual conduct, first degree charges as well as potential similar charges in Antrim County.

In addition to the prison time, Hayes ordered that Jacklyn undergo sex offender treatment, lifetime registration as a sex offender and lifetime electronic monitoring.