HOLLAND (WHTC-AM/FM) — After the family of two little girls who were molested by a former West Ottawa School board member publicly complained about his sentence, and questioned possible conflict of interest in the Ottawa County court system, 58th District Judge Bradley J. Knoll issued a formal statement, outlining measures taken.
After Douglas Arthur Mahn, 64, was charged with two felonies for sex asasult of a child under 10 — police found two victims in the same family — all the 58th District Court judges recused themselves, because Mahn’s wife works in the district court’s probation office. The state court administator ordered a visiting judge to handle his preliminary exam, which is held at the district court level,.
But Doug Mahn waived the preliminary exam, and made a plea agreement with the prosecutor’s office to plead guitly to one of the two counts against him. The other charge was dropped.
Mahn, charged in 2018, resigned from his school board position on Feb. 23, 2018.
Circuit Court Judge Jon Hulsing sentenced Mahn to register as a sex offender, wear a tether, submit to Michigan Dept. of Corrections supervision of his five years’ probation, and adhere to a long list of other restrictions, including making no contact with the two girls he molested.
One relative of the victims – -WHTC is not identifying her to protect the children — says the sentence isn’t enough. She said that, while the girls are getting help for their trauma, “they’re so shy. Their spark is gone. And yes, they’re afarid that Doug is going to come to the house and get them. Do they realize that he’s not allowed to, by the law? Well, you’re not allowed by the law to do this kind of stuff and what did it get him? He’s still not doing any jail time.”
She said the family has been to a lawyer to see what recourse they have, and there is none.
