Man, girl charged with sexual assault

LOWELL, Mich. (WOOD) - Two people have been arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl in downtown Lowell.

Police tracked down 27-year-old Jonathan Richard Crandall and 17-year-old Jillian Taylor Lemmink on Wednesday.

Court documents indicate that police allege Crandall gave a 15-year-old girl alcohol and marijuana. Crandall and Lemmink then had sex with the victim while she was under the influence, police said.

The victim said she was passed out during the assault.

"She felt like it was a bit of a ploy," said the victim's mother.

Crandall owns Lucid Hydroponics on Main Street in Lowell and lives above the store, which is where the crime allegedly occurred. The store sells growing systems for plants that are often used for growing marijuana.

The victim didn't know Crandall, her mother said, but she knew Lemmink. But the victim wasn't expecting Lemmink to bring her to Crandall's apartment above his store.

"She had never met him before, so instead of a girl's house, as she was expecting, it was this older gentlemen," said the victim's mother.

Crandall and Lemmink were arraigned Thursday in the 63rd District Court.

Crandall was charged with:

• Criminal sexual conduct in the first degree.
• Criminal sexual conduct in the third degree.
• Accosting a minor for immoral purposes.
• Furnishing a place for consideration.
• Contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Lemmink was charged with:

• Criminal sexual conduct in the first degree.
• Criminal sexual conduct in the third degree.
• Accosting a minor for immoral purposes.

The victim's family said they have been told that one of the suspects has confessed to the crime.

The victim's mother said that the two were arrested fairly quickly -- in part, she said, because of an incriminating text message Lemmink sent to the victim describing the whole ordeal.

"That was very very helpful that she wrote that text message, or else it would still be he-said-she-said," said the victim's mother.

The victim's mother also credits her daughter for telling someone about what happened so that they could get police involved as soon as possible.

"I think sexual assault is horrible, but I think that it is a responsibility to report it right away because we can't allow people out there in society to be like that," said the victim's mother. "Can't do that to people -- especially little 15-year-old girls."

The victim and her family received help dealing with the incident from YWCA, a women's health organization that also has programs to help deal with sexual assault and domestic violence.

Bond was set at $25,000 for each Crandall and Lemmink. Crandall posted bond and was released, but Lemmink remains behind bars as of Thursday evening.

Both are scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary examination on Feb. 1.

Crandall and Lemmink both had clean records until this incident. They face life in prison if convicted.

"I'm glad he is behind bars and I hope my daughter can breathe a little sigh of relief," said the victim's mother.

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Online:

YWCA of West Michigan

Or call the YWCA confidential crisis lines:

Sexual assault: 616.776.7273

Domestic violence: 616.451.2744