Warren man convicted second time for raping girl
He gained a retrial of his 2016 conviction
A 30-year-man was convicted Thursday of raping an 11-year-old under his care seven years ago in his Warren home, following his second trial.
Troy A. Brown was found guilty of first-degree criminal sexual conduct by a Macomb County Circuit
Court jury after it deliberated several hours over two days.
Brown, who already served six years in prison for the offense, will be sentenced by Judge Jennifer Faunce to serve at least 19 more years in prison due to the 25-year mandatory term from the victim being under age 13.
Brown was convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in 2016 following his first trial and was sentenced to 25 to 60 years in prison. But the conviction was overturned by the state Supreme Court in late 2020 because incorrect testimony by a police officer was not properly corrected by an assistant Macomb prosecutor who is no longer on staff.
Brown took the stand in his defense and denied the act.
His attorney, Carla Marable, said her client is innocent and is devastated by the outcome.
“I think this is an unjust verdict,” she said. “I think the girl (victim) has some psychological issues.”
But Assistant Macomb
Prosecutor Kumar Palepu said the victim’s accusations were backed by a vaginal swab which indicated male DNA. The contributor’s DNA could not be identified because most of it had been washed away; the girl showered after the incident after Brown told her to clean herself, he said.
The alleged incident occurred April 27, 2015, when Brown was taking care of the victim and other children including two of his own. According to the victim, Brown put the other children in a room, took her into his bedroom, locked the door and threatened to “whoop” her with a belt. Instead, he raped her, she said. Afterward, he gave her $1 and told her not to say anything, she added.
Brown was released in March 2021 after he had served about six years, by posting a $100,000 bond.