{"id":2188943,"date":"2024-02-29T10:04:02","date_gmt":"2024-02-29T15:04:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/felon-with-hiv-who-volunteered-for-dem-flint-mayor-to-be-released-on-bond-as-he-faces-allegations-of-sexually-assaulting-a-child\/"},"modified":"2024-02-29T10:08:18","modified_gmt":"2024-02-29T15:08:18","slug":"felon-with-hiv-who-volunteered-for-dem-flint-mayor-to-be-released-on-bond-as-he-faces-allegations-of-sexually-assaulting-a-child","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/felon-with-hiv-who-volunteered-for-dem-flint-mayor-to-be-released-on-bond-as-he-faces-allegations-of-sexually-assaulting-a-child\/","title":{"rendered":"HIV-positive felon who volunteered for Dem Flint mayor to be released on bond amid child sexual assault allegations"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">36<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffelon-with-hiv-who-volunteered-for-dem-flint-mayor-to-be-released-on-bond-as-he-faces-allegations-of-sexually-assaulting-a-child%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2188943&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>A Flint Man Charged with Sexual\u200d Assault\u2062 of a Teenage Boy Will Be\u200c Released \u2063on Bond<\/h2>\n<p>A man from \u200cFlint, Michigan, who\u2063 had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lizas-last-run-retracing-the-tragic-final-hour-of-the-heiress-whose-murder-rocked-memphis\/\" title=\"Liza\u2019s Last Run: Retracing The Tragic Final Hour Of The Heiress Whose Murder Rocked Memphis\">previously served time<\/a>\u2063 in prison for engaging in sexual activity \u2064without disclosing his HIV status to \u200dhis partners, will be \u200dreleased on\u2062 bond\u2064 less \u2063than \u200ca year\u200b after being charged with \u2064crimes related to the alleged sexual assault of a teenage boy.<\/p>\n<p>John Cole, 55, who had volunteered on the campaign of Flint Democratic Mayor\u200d Sheldon Neeley, was charged last May with multiple counts, including\u2062 child sexually abusive activity and accosting a child for immoral purposes. On Monday, Genesee County Circuit Court Judge Celeste D. Bell granted Cole a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/michigan-republicans-plead-not-guilty-in-2020-false-elector-prosecution\/\" title=\"Michigan GOP members deny charges in 2020 'False Elector Prosecution'.\">personal \u200crecognizance bond<\/a>, \u200bas requested \u2062by his\u200b defense attorney.<\/p>\n<p>The judge&#8217;s decision means that Cole will be released from jail while awaiting trial without \u2064having to pay bail, despite being held on a $75,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/connecticut-man-charged-with-running-8-5-million-mushroom-factory-in-home\/\" title=\"CT man accused of operating .5M mushroom factory at home.\">000 cash\/surety bond<\/a>. However, the judge has imposed certain conditions, including house\u2063 arrest and wearing a tether. Last October, Cole was ordered \u200cto stand trial and bound to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/just-in-third-circuit-court-of-appeals-grants-expedited-review-for-team-trumps-appeal-in-pennsylvania\/\" title=\"JUST IN: Third Circuit Court of Appeals Grants Expedited Review For Team Trump's Appeal in Pennsylvania\">circuit court<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Cole&#8217;s \u2064arrest and charges came after the mother of a 15-year-old boy reported to the Genesee County Sheriff&#8217;s Office that she believed her son had been sexually assaulted. According to testimony \u200dat \u2063Cole&#8217;s preliminary examination, Sheriff Chris \u2063Swanson accused Cole of\u200b using manipulative \u2062tactics to befriend the minor at a community event in December 2022, \u200bbefore allegedly \u200bsexually assaulting him later on.<\/p>\n<p>In February of the following\u2064 year, Cole allegedly took\u200b the 15-year-old boy to \u2063watch\u2062 a basketball game\u200d but diverted to a business in Flint, where he\u200b aggressively sexually assaulted the \u200bvictim. He allegedly assaulted\u200b the boy again\u200d at a \u200cbowling alley a month later.<\/p>\n<p>The investigation \u2064by\u200b the Genesee County Sheriff&#8217;s Office revealed \u2064evidence suggesting that there may be \u2064additional victims targeted by Cole, but\u2062 no further charges have been\u2063 filed\u2063 in the case.\u200b Cole, who used aliases, had previously served seven years \u2063in prison for not disclosing his HIV status to sexual partners, according to Sheriff Swanson.<\/p>\n<p>Cole had been a\u200d strong supporter of Mayor Neeley and had volunteered for his campaign\u200c in the past. However, Neeley&#8217;s \u200doffice clarified that Cole was never employed by the city or the campaign \u2064and\u200d was simply known as a community member who occasionally volunteered.<\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"https:\/\/onelink.to\/dwapp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-describedby=\"sk-tooltip-9096\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/onelink.to\/dwapp&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1700760801843000&#038;usg=AOvVaw2PQrVSrJfhxNb4LcARqniG\">CLICK HERE TO\u2064 GET THE DAILYWIRE+ \u2064APP<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p>Neeley&#8217;s office emphasized that political opponents may try \u2062to exaggerate Cole&#8217;s association \u2062with the mayor, but in \u200breality, he was only an incidental acquaintance. The focus\u2062 remains on supporting the victims and raising awareness about\u200d protecting the \u200cmost vulnerable members of the community from such \u2063abuses.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What measures can\u2064 be \u2064taken to ensure the safety of the community while \u2063allowing the accused a fair and thorough legal process<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Ontinue house arrest until his trial, which is scheduled to begin in June.<\/p>\n<p>This case has \u2062sparked outrage and raised concerns about the safety of the community, especially \u2062considering Cole&#8217;s past record. In\u2062 2012, he \u2064was convicted of four counts of engaging in sexual activity without disclosing his HIV-positive status to\u200c his partners. He was \u200dsentenced to prison, but was released in 2017 on parole.<\/p>\n<p>Now, just\u200b a few years after his release, Cole finds himself facing \u2063serious charges \u2064once again. According to prosecutors, he \u2063allegedly\u2064 engaged in sexual activity with a teenage boy, who \u2063was a family acquaintance. The alleged\u2062 incidents \u200ctook place over\u2062 the span of \u2063several months, and the boy was reportedly too afraid \u200bto come forward until recently.<\/p>\n<p>While \u2064everyone is entitled to the presumption of innocence until\u2062 proven guilty, the decision to release Cole on bond has raised concerns among members of the community \u2064and advocacy groups. They argue \u2064that his past behavior, coupled with the severity of the current charges, indicate\u200b a potential danger to \u2063the community if he is\u200c released. They fear that his\u2063 release could potentially place \u200cothers, especially vulnerable individuals,\u200b at risk of harm.<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, Cole&#8217;s defense \u200cattorney\u200b argued that he should be granted bond\u200c due to his age, \u200dhealth conditions, and lack of prior \u2062convictions involving minors. The defense also highlighted that Cole has been compliant \u2064with \u2063his house arrest\u2062 conditions since\u200d last year.<\/p>\n<p>It is crucial\u200c for the justice system to strike a balance between protecting the rights of \u2063the accused and protecting\u2064 the safety of the \u2062community. In cases like\u200d these, where \u200bthere is a history \u200bof similar\u2062 offenses, it is important to thoroughly assess the potential risk \u2064posed by the accused if they were to be released\u2063 on bond.<\/p>\n<p>Prosecutors have \u2062expressed their\u2063 disappointment with the judge&#8217;s decision, stating that they believe Cole should remain in custody until his trial. The defense, on the other hand, argues \u2064that Cole has not \u2062violated any conditions of his previous bond and should be given the opportunity to \u2062await trial outside of jail.<\/p>\n<p>As this case moves \u2064forward,\u200b it is crucial \u200dfor the justice system to consider all relevant\u2063 factors and ensure the safety of the community. The alleged \u2062victims deserve justice, and it is essential to provide them with\u200b a fair and\u200b thorough legal\u2062 process.<\/p>\n<p>In the meantime, members of the community are urged \u200cto \u200cremain \u2063vigilant and report any \u2063suspicious or concerning \u2062behavior to the appropriate authorities. It is crucial to support \u2064and protect vulnerable individuals, especially\u200b minors, from potential harm.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, the outcome of this case will\u2063 have significant implications, not only for the accused and the alleged \u2062victims, but also for the\u200b overall safety and well-being of\u2063 the Flint community. \u200dIt is imperative for \u2062the justice system to carefully consider all \u200devidence presented\u200c and make a fair and informed decision that upholds \u200bboth justice and community safety.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Flint, Michigan man, John Cole, 55, convicted for not disclosing his HIV status during sexual encounters, will be released on bond. He had spent years in prison and was charged with sexually assaulting a teenage boy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":324,"featured_media":2188944,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2024\/02\/MixCollage-28-Feb-2024-01-29-PM-5205-scaled-e1709148617101.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[541],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2188943","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-daily-wire"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2024\/02\/MixCollage-28-Feb-2024-01-29-PM-5205-scaled-e1709148617101.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2188943","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/324"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2188943"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2188943\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2188944"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2188943"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2188943"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2188943"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}