Man to get 7 years in prison for 2018 assault on Clinton Twp. jogger

Mount Clemens — A 29-year-old man has pleaded guilty to charges in connection to a September attack on a female jogger on a high school running track.

Douglas Pearson pleaded guilty Tuesday to two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct, one count of assault with intent to commit sexual penetration and one count of interfering with a crime report, Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith said.

Pearson is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 5, according to court records.

Under a plea deal, he will be sentenced to seven years in prison. He could have faced up to 15 years in prison for each criminal sexual conduct charge, 10 years for the assault charge and one year for the interfering with a crime report charge.

Smith said in a statement Wednesday the victim was satisfied with the sentencing agreement.

“While we are grateful for the defendant taking accountability and pleading guilty to all counts, it does not negate the extremely troubling acts he committed, in broad daylight, in the middle of a popular high school track,” the prosecutor said. "The citizens of Macomb County can rest easier with this monster locked-up in prison and off the street for at least the next seven years." 

Authorities said Pearson attacked a woman at about 8:30 a.m. Sept. 2 while she was jogging on the running track at Chippewa Valley High School in Clinton Township.

He chased down the woman and assaulted her, attempting to remove her shirt. She fought back as he grabbed her chest and genitals through her clothing, Smith said.

Pearson then stood up and unzipped his pants. The woman kicked at him and escaped to call 911, the prosecutor said. He then took the woman's phone, ran to a parking lot and drove away in an older model Ford Escape.

Police submitted DNA evidence gathered at the scene of the attack to the Michigan State Police Crime Lab for analysis and it matched it to Pearson.

cramirez@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @CharlesERamirez