Business leader faces child pornography charges
Posted by Amalie Nash The Ann Arbor News January 15, 2008 16:02PM
An Ann Arbor business executive accused of molesting boys he met through the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Washtenaw County has been charged with possession of child pornography, officials said.
Prosecutors charged Michael John Brooks, 46, with four counts of possession of child sexually abusive material. Brooks is a vice president and chief compliance officer for Sigma Financial Corp. in Ann Arbor.
Washtenaw County Sheriff's Cmdr. Dave Egeler said deputies discovered child pornography on a computer disk seized during the molestation investigation. In November, Brooks was charged with four counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct. He is accused of assaulting boys he met through USA Hockey and Big Brothers-Big Sisters during a 12-year span dating back to 1995. The boys were between the ages of 8 and 16.
Brooks' attorney has denied the allegations.
Brooks is scheduled to have a preliminary examination Wednesday on the original sexual assault charges,. It's expected that he will also be arraigned at that hearing on the child pornography charges, which are punishable by up to four years in prison.
Ann Arbor youth mentor accused of sexual misconduct
November 28, 2007 07:39AM
An Ann Arbor business executive lauded for his work in mentoring youths is facing criminal charges that he molested boys he met through the Big Brothers-Big Sisters of Washtenaw County, police said.
Michael John Brooks, 46, is charged with four counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct. He is accused of assaulting boys between the ages of 8 and 16 during a 12-year span dating back to 1995, said Washtenaw County Sheriff's Cmdr. Dave Egeler.
Three accusers - including two brothers - came forward to police in October, alleging Brooks improperly touched them at his home and when he took them on short trips when they were children, Egeler said.
Mark Bilkovic, Brooks' Farmington Hills-based attorney, disputed the allegations and cautioned against calling the accusers - now 24, 20, and 18 - victims. He said Brooks has previously been accused of similar acts by at least one of the men outside the court system after Brooks refused to give him money.
"He categorically denies every allegation made against him by these individuals," he said.
Egeler said police are investigating whether additional victims exist, given Brooks' history of volunteer work with Big Brothers-Big Sisters of Washtenaw County and as a host for athletes involved in USA Hockey tournaments.
"We're seriously looking at all the information we have on him and his activities because we have reasonable concerns about him being a predator due to his connections with these groups," Egeler said.
Just last week, Brooks, a vice president and chief compliance officer for Sigma Financial Corp. in Ann Arbor, was named a finalist in the national 2007 Community Leadership Awards for mentoring excellence. The awards are given annually to recognize financial advisers across the county for exemplary leadership and community contributions.
In a written statement issued Tuesday afternoon, Big Brothers-Big Sisters officials said Brooks is no longer with the organization and emphasized they have a thorough screening process for all staff and volunteers.
"We are shocked and deeply saddened by the news that one of our former volunteers has been identified in connection with an allegation of sexual misconduct," Jennifer Spitler, executive director, said in a statement. "Big Brothers Big Sisters has zero tolerance for abuse and we will continue to refine our practices to ensure the safety of all the children we serve."
A preliminary hearing that had been scheduled Tuesday in Washtenaw County District Court was adjourned to Dec. 11. Brooks remains free on $15,000 bond, court records show.
Local authorities arrested Brooks in Florida earlier this month after searching his Ann Arbor Township home, where they seized computers and other evidence, Egeler said.
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