Man facing 5 criminal sex charges after girl tells Genesee County teacher about abuse

GENESEE COUNTY, Mich. – A man is facing five first-degree criminal sexual conduct charges after a girl came forward and spoke to her teacher in Genesee County, officials said.

Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson said Gary Denzel Byas, 29, had been victimizing a young girl who is related to him “over a long period of time.”

She isn’t the only family member Byas has abused, according to Swanson. The sheriff said Byas was convicted of child abuse in 2015 and had another incident reported in 2014.

He previously spent time in the Genesee County Jail, and now he’s back in custody on five counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct -- a felony with a maximum sentence of life in p rison.

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