A former township supervisor in Delta, Michigan, has been re-elected again despite previously being arrested on child sexual charges, including sexting with a minor.
Former Delta Township Supervisor Ken Fletcher, 58, won back his seat by a landslide on Tuesday's election, receiving 89% of the votes cast.
Two write-in candidates filed to run for the position after Fletcher resigned in September. However, both candidates only gained 11% of the votes cast, per preliminary results.
His win comes months after police arrested him as part of a sting operation led by a regional internet crimes task force, including authorities from the Eaton County Sheriff's Office, Lansing police, Michigan State Police, and Charlotte police.
Fletcher's Child Sexual Charges
Authorities arrested Fletcher after he began messaging a police officer posing as a 15-year-old boy on the dating app Grindr. Court records viewed by the Lansing State Journal showed the 58-year-old told the undercover detective that he "wanted to perform oral sex" and expressed willingness to meet with the "boy" at the Lansing Mall to "just talk."
Court records said Fletcher used the same phone number he uses in his official signature line in his emails for the chat.
Fletcher was arrested on August 21. After waiving his Miranda rights, he admitted to sexting with a person he believed to be a minor.
He is now facing charges of accosting a child for immoral purposes and using a computer to commit a crime. Accosting a minor carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison, while using a computer to commit a crime carries a maximum sentence of seven years imprisonment.
What Will Happen Now?
The former township supervisor is scheduled to return to court on November 12 for a probable cause hearing. He has until January 1, 2025 to decide if he will accept or decline the position.
There are currently no indications whether he plans to accept the position. If he declines, the township will either have to appoint a replacement or hold a special election. He faces no threat of removal from his seat unless he is convicted and sentenced for a year or more, Delta Township Clerk Mary Clark told the Lansing City Pulse.
The township appointed Clark as interim supervisor after Fletcher resigned from the seat.
