MENOMINEE — A Spalding man has been sentenced to prison for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl, according to Menominee County Prosecutor Jeffrey T. Rogg.

Dustin Randal Garvin-Thorbahn, 22, of Spalding was sentenced to 30 months to 15 years in prison after being convicted of criminal sexual conduct – third degree (person 13 through 15). The prison sentence was handed down by Judge Christopher S. Ninomiya in 41st Circuit Court.

According to court documents, the 15-year-old victim reported to the Michigan State Police that Garvin-Thorbahn sexually assaulted her at the Hermansville boat launch in Meyer Township in early December 2021.

According to Rogg, Garvin-Thorbahn lured the victim into the back seat of his pickup and choked her to the point that she was “scared for her life.” Garvin-Thorbahn then violently sexually assaulted her. The victim reported that Garvin-Thorbahn “was laughing at her the entire time.”

Mr. Garvin-Thorbahn preyed on a vulnerable child, five years younger than himself, for his own selfish sexual gratification,” said Rogg. “Mr. Garvin-Thorbahn’s behavior is deeply disturbing, and the serious sanction of a prison sentence, even for one so young, is entirely appropriate as a consequence.”

“Intimate partner and sexual violence crimes are among the most difficult cases to prosecute,” Rogg said. “Judge Ninomiya’s sentence sends a harsh message to people like Mr. Garvin-Thorbahn that I will work tirelessly to seek justice for survivors, and that they cannot victimize anyone in vulnerable circumstances. I want to thank my partners at the Michigan State Police for their continued assistance in bringing predators like this to justice.”