LANSING, Mich. — The third defendant to plead guilty in a Coldwater child sex abuse conspiracy ring was sentenced Monday in Branch County Circuit Court.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Tuesday, Sept. 24 Jamie LaPoint, 20, of Athens, pleaded guilty in July to one felony count of Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping and one felony count of Conspiracy to Commit First Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct (CSC).
She was sentenced to 51 months to 25 years for the Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping charge and 25 years to life for the Conspiracy to Commit First Degree CSC charge -- both to be served concurrently.
LaPoint is also required to register as a sex offender for the rest of her life.
In May 2018, the Michigan State Police got a tip from a witness that claimed two of LaPoint’s co-defendants, 33-year-old Matthew Toole and 33-year-old Talia Furman, both from Battle Creek, had child pornography on their phones and had plans to abuse and murder a young girl.
MSP and the Michigan Department of Attorney General investigated and found several messages were exchanged with LaPoint’s live-in boyfriend -- the fourth defendant in the case -- David Bailey, 37, of Kalamazoo, detailing the same plans to abuse and kill a young girl.
Evidence from LaPoint's phone revealed she had engaged in these plans with Toole and Furman. The four met for pizza at Bailey’s home and laid out the plot to kidnap a child from the county fair, rape and then murder that child.
“This sentencing makes it clear that when it comes to the safety and welfare of our children and residents, my office will use every resource available to hold dangerous individuals accountable,” said Nessel. “I appreciate the Court’s decision and commitment to ensuring justice in this case was served. And I am incredibly proud of the swift action taken by the Michigan State Police and our career prosecutors who intercepted the plot to carry out heinous crimes and prevented Michigan children from being harmed.”
A trial for Toole -- the only defendant who did not plead -- begins Tuesday, Oct. 22. Furman and Bailey were both sentenced in late August, the AG's office says.
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