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Press Release

South Bend Man Sentenced To More Than 24 Years In Federal Prison For Child Sex Abuse

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Michigan

          GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — Alexander Scott Yossett, 28, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced to 293 months (more than 24 years) in federal prison for committing sexual assaults against a young child, U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge announced today. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou imposed lifetime supervised release that will commence once Yossett is released from imprisonment. Yossett will also be required to register as a sexual offender.

          Yossett pled guilty on May 26, 2021, to Abusive Sexual Contact with a Child Under 12 Years.  He admitted that he had repeatedly sexually assaulted a young child while on a tribal reservation in Michigan.  In its sentencing memorandum, the U.S. Attorney’s Office argued in favor of a lengthy sentence, pointing to the seriousness of the defendant’s conduct and the need to deter others and protect the public.  The United States emphasized the particularly despicable nature of child sex abuse and the lasting scars it leaves on its victims. 

          U.S. Attorney Birge stated: “The federal penalties for those who sexually abuse children are severe and well-deserved.  My office is dedicated to working these cases with our tribal, state, local, and federal partners to make sure that victims receive justice and needed services and that predators are sent away and can pose no threat to children for a very long time.”

          This case was jointly investigated by the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Tribal Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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Updated September 13, 2021

Topic
Project Safe Childhood