Sanilac County Circuit Judge Ross Gives Visitation Rights to Child Rapist

Justice? The victim’s address was revealed to her abuser and the judge ordered that the convicted rapist's name be added to the child’s birth certificate.

Bizarre Michigan court decision: Christopher Mirasolo raped a 12-year old and 8 years later is given rights to the resulting child. Photo: Michigan Department of Corrections

(SALEM, Ore.) - A Michigan judge has granted parental rights to a convicted sex offender, providing the man with access to a child who is the product of the rape of a 12-year-old girl.

Sanilac County Circuit Judge Gregory Ross in Michigan has given parental rights to a man that raped a 12-year old girl over a matter of days while he held her and her young friend against their will, threatening their lives.

The rape was 8 years ago, and resulted in the birth of a child, to a child. A nightmare in anyone's book.

In 2009, Christopher Michael Mirasolo was convicted of the crime. Though he might have received 25 years, he was given a plea deal instead.

The Sanilac County Prosecutor’s Office offered him "attempted third-degree criminal sexual conduct" and he was sentenced to one year in the county jail. He only served six and a half months before early release.

In 2010, he re-offended. Mirasolo was convicted of committing a sex assault on a victim between the ages of 13 and 15 years old. He served only four years, for a second offense.

How did this all come up? The 2008 victim, now 21, applied for food stamps recently. Federal law required her to name the child’s father so the state could seek child support reimbursement.

Of course, the rapist's name wasn't included on the birth certificate. That's not a loophole for food stamps though, it is either fill in the blank or do not get food for your child.

For $260 a month in food stamps and health insurance for her child, this onslaught of the past revisited was mandated.

So, the local prosecutor’s office filed a case to identify him. A DNA test run last month, which confirmed that 27-year-old Christopher Mirasolo is the biological father of the boy.

That test is all the fast-acting judge needed to make his decision. What was termed a "a routine process" for the prosecution is a life-changing sentence to a child and his mother, a young woman working since middle school in overcoming the trauma of violent rape. She's a survivor, yet the Judge overlooked her in lieu of her abuser.

Judge Gregory Ross chose to do something completely unnecessary, and unacceptable by most standards. Judge Ross granted parental rights to Mirasolo, providing the convicted sex offender with access to an innocent child, born of rape.

The mother was notified that she is “not allowed to move 100 miles from where she had been living when the case was filed, without court consent.” And the prosecutor told her she had to "come home immediately or she would be held in contempt of court", according to Kiessling, a lawyer and advocate who specializes in cases involving children and survivors of rape.

What motivations the Judge might have are a complete unknown.

If he has hidden biases against little girls is unknown. If he has personal incentives in regard to putting this victim through more trauma is unknown. If he doesn't like people that use food stamps is unknown. If he has a soft spot for rapists, so far is unknown. Maybe he's just not a very nice guy.

What is known is that this is not justice. A rape victim, whatever his or her age, deserves protection, and the right to privacy. An abuser, especially a convicted child rapist, should be held to different standards than an average well-meaning father.

According to NBC, Rebecca Kiessling was shocked at the speed the case moved through the court, as if this were standard practice for the prosecutor.

"I’ve never seen anything like this," she said.

No, neither has most of "civilized society".