WESTLAND, Mich. – A sex offender living in a tent in the backyard of a Westland home tried to convince a young girl to have sex with him online and even continued his advances when the girl’s mother intervened, police said.
WARNING: Some of the details in this story are disturbing.
Ronald Neil Check, 46, is listed on the Michigan Sex Offender Registry due to a 2005 conviction for first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person under 13 years old.
He has been named in a criminal complaint that was unsealed May 16, 2024.
Disturbing messages with young girl
Michigan State Police officials said they received a screen name from the Tampa Police Department in Florida on Oct. 24, 2023. The person using that screen name sent 11 nude pictures of himself to a child, police said.
The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force traced the pictures back to Check and found a series of messages that had been exchanged on May 27, 2023.
- Child: “How old are u”
- Check: “14. You”
- Child: “10″
- Check: “I’m only 13 really. I think you’re so hot.”
Check went on to ask the girl for sex. Later in the conversation, a video chat took place and the child responded, “Put that away.”
Check continued to make advances toward the girl in the chat, even though she twice told him, “Stop.”
At one point, Check offered the girl money for sex, according to the criminal complaint.
Toward the end of the chat, the girl’s mother sent messages to Check through her daughter’s account.
“(My daughter) is 8 I will f------ kill you,” the mother said. “Nasty b----.”
Check responded with seven more messages and 14 attempted video calls. He continued his advances and told the mother that he would “probably stop calling” if the girl sent him “visuals.”
Child pornography found on cellphones
State police tracked the IP address used by Check to a home in Westland. The woman living at the home told police that in May 2023, Check had been living in a tent in her backyard.
She said she had given Check the password to her internet.
While they were checking his records, police learned that Check was being held at the Wayne County Jail on breaking and entering charges. Eight cellphones had been confiscated during his arrest.
While searching those cellphones, state troopers said they found 26 pictures and 75 videos that meet the federal definition of child pornography.
Check had also tried to make a new username and re-contact the girl in Tampa on one of the phones, the criminal complaint says.
Police said they also found the nude pictures of Check that had been sent to the girl.
A video of a naked girl between 7 and 10 years old was found on the same phone, officials said. The girl appeared to be on a video chat with Check. It took place on Jan. 14, 2023, and lasted 5 minutes and 33 seconds.
Conclusion
The criminal complaint says that Check is subject to enhanced penalties because of his previous conviction for criminal sexual conduct.
It concludes that there’s probable cause that Check sent obscene material to a minor, sexually exploited a minor, coerced and enticed a minor, received child pornography, and possessed child pornography.