Morning Sun

Isabella deputies assist in child sex sting

Three Mecosta men charged with planning sex with child

- By Rick Mills rimills@medianewsg­roup.com

Isabella sheriff’s deputies were among officers from at least eight department­s including the FBI who conducted a child sex traffickin­g sting that resulted in arrests in Big Rapids this week.

Three men were arrested Tuesday, accused of making arrangemen­ts and traveling to have sex with a child, Mecosta sheriff’s officials said Thursday.

Besides Mecosta and Isabella deputies the multicount­y sting included deputies from Montcalm and Newaygo counties along with officers from Big Rapids Department of Public Safety, agents from the FBI, 6th District MSP Intelligen­ce Analysts and the Central Michigan Enforcemen­t Team.

No informatio­n has been released on arrests in other counties and there are no new inmates on similar charges this week in the Isabella County Jail, according to jail records.

“All three suspects individual­ly traveled to a Big Rapids Township location with the intentions of having sexual intercours­e with a minor juvenile,” Mecosta sheriff’s officials said.

All three local suspects were arrested and lodged at the Mecosta County Sheriff’s Office on multiple felonies.

All three suspects were arraigned in 77th District Court in Big Rapids on Thursday.

Charged are:

Randall Pion, 26, of Big Rapids, was arraigned on two felonies: Accosting a minor for immoral purposes and computer used in the commission of a felony. He’s jailed on a $100,000 bond.

Jeremy Ostrander, 25, of Big Rapids, was arraigned on three felonies: Accosting a minor for immoral purposes, computer used in the commission of a felony and resisting/obstructin­g/assaulting police He’s in the Mecosta County Jail on a $125,000 bond.

Austin Donley, 27, of Big Rapids, was arraigned on five felonies: Accosting a minor for immoral purposes, computer used in the commission of a felony, resisting/obstructin­g/assaulting police a d two counts of possessing a firearm while committing felonies. He remains in custody in the Mecosta County Jail on a $150,000 bond.

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Ostrander
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Donley
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Pion

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