Man Charged with Child Sex Assault, Allegedly Also Sent Sexual Texts

After a mother called Mount Pleasant police to report that her 11-year-old daughter was receiving sexually inappropriate texts from a North Carolina man who was at their home, the victim reported the man also touched her.

Michael Mcclelland, 31, of Charlotte, NC, reportedly told officers he was just joking with the girl but later admitted to fondling her as well.

He is charged with one felony count of first degree sexual assault of a child under the age of 13 and a single felony count of using a computer to aid in a sex crime against a child. If convicted, Mcclelland faces up to 100 years in prison and up to $100,000 in fines.

According to the criminal complaint, Mount Pleasant police responded to a call at 11:08 pm Wednesday from a mother who saw sexually explicit text messages on her 11-year-old daughter's iPod Touch from Mcclelland. Officers read through the messages and asked the victim if she had been touched by Mcclelland.

The victim reportedly told police that Mcclelland touched her breast and genitals under her clothes. Mcclelland also allegedly tried to get the girl to come to his room after her mother was asleep.

Police found Mcclelland sitting on the front porch of the home drinking beer. They placed him under arrest and after reading him his rights, which he waived, asked him about the text messages.

Mcclelland reportedly admitted to officers to sending the texts to the victim but said it was all in fun and was never meant to be taken seriously or for the sex acts he described in the messages to actually take place. He also allegedly admitted to police that he was aware the girl was only 11 and that he'd known her since she was "knee-high to a tadpole."

Officers gave Mcclelland the option to compose an apology letter to the victim, which he did. After he completed his statement, police asked the suspect about touching the victim, and Mcclelland supposedly admitted to touching the girl's breast but denied touching her elsewhere.

Racine County District Attorney Rich Chiapete would not comment on why Mcclelland was at the victim's home or his possible relationship to her.

"I can't comment on anything outside the criminal complaint," he told Patch Friday afternoon, after Mcclelland's initial appearance.

Mcclelland remains in the Racine County Jail on a $100,000 cash bond. According to the court record, he also faces a felony charge of child enticement and will have his preliminary hearing on July 25 before Court Commissioner Alice A. Rudebusch.