January 11, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Prosecutor Tim Rutkowski, 989.269.9255
On Wednesday, January 10, 2024, Raymond Peyerk was convicted by a jury of 9 men and 3 women of Criminal Sexual Conduct (CSC) in the 3rd Degree and 10 counts of CSC in the 4th Degree following a two-day jury trial in the 52nd Circuit Court.
The charges arose after Raymond Peyerk sexually assaulted his girl-friend’s teenage daughter on President’s Day, February 20, 2023. The Victim told a high school coach that the Defendant had sexually assaulted her earlier that day and the coach, as required, reported the sexual assault to the appropriate authorities. After reporting the assault, the Victim was taken to a local hospital where a SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) did an examination and collected evidence that would later be examined by the Michigan State Police Crime Laboratory.
On February 21, 2023, the Defendant was charged with one count of CSC in the 3rd Degree and two counts of CSC in the 4th Degree. After hearing the evidence at a preliminary examination, Judge Herrington, District Court Judge, bound the Defendant over on 1 count of CSC in the 3rd Degree and 10 counts of CSC in the 4th Degree.
Eleven witnesses testified during the trial that included the Victim, her mother, law enforcement officers, the SANE nurse, and two MSP DNA Experts. The jury heard emotional testimony from the Victim how on the morning of President’s Day the Defendant came into her bedroom and ultimately put his fingers into her vagina. This was the culmination of sexual assaults that had grown in intensity over the past eighteen months. Two experts from the Michigan State Police Crime Laboratory testified about their examinations of the swabs obtained from the SANE nurse’s examination. They determined that the DNA evidence found in the swabs demonstrated very strong support that the DNA came from the Defendant.
The jury left to deliberate at approximately 4:50 p.m., and after just over an hour of deliberation, returned with a verdict of guilty to all charges. After the verdict, the Honorable Gerald Prill revoked the Defendant’s bond, and scheduled sentencing for March 4, 2023. CSC 3rd is a felony with a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
Prosecutor Rutkowski praised the Victim stating that:
“It was significant that the Victim in this case made a quick disclosure of the sexual assault which then allowed DNA evidence to be collected and examined. It helped support her testimony. She demonstrated great strength in reporting what the Defendant did to her.”
Prosecutor Rutkowski thanks the Huron County Sherriff’s Department for the work it did during this investigation, and the county’s procedures currently in place to support child victims in sexual assaults.
