Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By RALPH ANSAMI
Hurley — An 18-year-old Hurley resident will spend 20 days in the Iron County Jail before heading off to attend Northern Michigan University in Marquette this fall.
Joshua Richard Quello was sentenced on Tuesday afternoon after entering no contest pleas to two counts of sexual assault of minors and two misdemeanors for intimidation of a witness.
A deferred entry of judgment was reached in which the two felonies will be dismissed after three years if he follows all conditions of the agreement.
Quello was ordered to spend 60 days in the Iron County Jail on the misdemeanors, but they can be served in 20-day increments.
Any violation of the agreement will result in a 12-month sentence on the felonies.
Quello must also pay $444 in court costs and $75 monthly to Dan Johns to monitor the agreement reached between Iron County District Attorney Matt Tingstad and defense attorney James McKenzie.
Quello must also complete sex offender evaluation and is subject to random cell phone checks by police, McKenzie said in outlining the agreement.
Judge Patrick Madden ordered Quello to immediately go to jail with a deputy.
The judge said he felt the agreement was a “reasonable resolution of some serious issues.” He said Quello will also be able to seek expungement of the misdemeanors after the jail time is served.
Quello was originally charged with eight felony counts related to inappropriate sexual contact he had with two minor girls.
According to the criminal complaint, the crimes took place at various times between Sept. 20, 2016, and March 9.
The mother of one of the victims told the court “... no child should have to go through” the torment her 14-year-old daughter faced and continues to face.
The mother said she believed there were more than two victims and implied the assaults were the results of a bet that Quello made with his buddies.
“What if somebody did this to your sister,” she asked Quello, who was sent to jail directly after answering some questions from Madden.
A young girl who spoke to the court said the case had been “the biggest thing at our school.”
The charges resulted from of an investigation into an “inappropriate digital image” of a Hurley K-12 female student that the district had been made aware of, according to the complaint.
A student told authorities she had received an explicit image of a man and alleged Quello had sexual intercourse with her and another minor.
The second minor said she and Quello had sexual intercourse several times while in a three-month relationship.
Quello admitted to the three-month relationship and also acknowledged sending the first minor the inappropriate picture, according to the criminal complaint.
