WAYNE COUNTY, Mich. – Sitting in a suit beside his attorney, Michael Justus appeared in federal court Thursday for sentencing with character letters from family, friends, his partner and therapist, along with a statement of his own.
The courtroom was filled with victims and their loved ones as several women described how his actions have impacted their lives — and will forever.
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Justus was sentenced to three years of probation, drawing audible sighs in the courtroom and disappointment from victims who had asked for jail time.
“To say that we’re disappointed by what the system provides us — as women, is such an understatement today,” said Madison Kinsella, one of the victims speaking on behalf of the others. “They have already caused so much harm that we will carry with us for the rest of our lives.”
Justus is one of three former Plymouth-Canton Educational Park (P-CEP) students tied to a yearslong scheme in which accounts were hacked, and intimate, nude and semi-nude images of women were stolen and posted online, according to federal investigators.
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Kinsella said, in her case, photos of her as a minor were taken and altered to appear nude, then posted online. She said she’s “terrified” more photos are out there that she doesn’t know about.
Justus pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting in connection to obtaining information from a protected computer — a misdemeanor carrying a maximum penalty of one year in jail and supervised release.
Several women addressed the court Thursday in emotional and tearful victim impact statements, describing lasting trauma from a scheme prosecutors said involved repeated actions over several years and the sharing of stolen images on an anonymous Russian website.
One woman, speaking through tears, said when she learned her photos were posted online, she couldn’t leave her home due to daily panic attacks and has lived under “a dark cloud” for the past six years.
“What makes it all worse is this was not an accident… it was repeated,” she said. “This type of harm does not just go away. It’s deep, and it’s real.”
A second victim, also in tears, said the case had been treated with a “boys will be boys” approach, noting the other defendants only received time served and probation.
“He was an adult,” she said. “You got off on the humiliation and lack of consent… you were a grown adult who chose to be deviant.”
A third victim said she learned about her involvement six years ago after intimate photos were stolen, telling the court: “This situation does not define me. This situation does, however, define him and the person he is.”
She added that while the case was still under investigation in 2023, Justus further tried to “access her” and sent her a friend request on Instagram. He lowered his head as the statements were read.
Prosecutors argued his conduct was ongoing and deliberate, asking for jail time.
“This was not one bad decision. This defendant actively encouraged this… and sometimes this defendant would post those images,” the prosecutor said. “The sentence needs to address deterrence. This man sentenced these women to trauma.”
A defense attorney for Justus said he deserved a second chance, arguing “human beings and human lives are multi-faceted,” noting he lost his job and is “deeply, deeply haunted by this… and this conviction will follow him forever.”
In his statement to the court, Justus said, in part: “I cannot change what I’ve done… I acknowledge the harm I’ve done… It’s something that haunts me every day.”
“They were completely innocent and… I look back at my actions and don’t recognize the person I was.”
Before sentencing, the magistrate referenced a new law passed in May 2025 — the Take It Down Act — which makes such conduct punishable by up to two years in prison, saying “the law is catching up.”
“I do think the defendant is remorseful,” the magistrate said. “He understands it has caused pain to the victims.”
The judge emphasized the seriousness of the offense but said incarceration was not appropriate, ordering a $5,000 fine and more than $6,000 in restitution, with additional restitution possible. Justus must pay $500 per month and complete a sex offender evaluation while under supervision.
“A sentence of probation is in no way intended to send a message that this isn’t serious,” the judge said.
“I’m just kind of at a loss,” said Kinsella. “I hope they live lives of solitude and reflection where they do not hurt anyone else.”