Ironwood man sentenced on sex charge

By RICHARD JENKINS

rjenkins@yourdailyglobe.com

Bessemer - An Ironwood man will serve over 6 years in prison on a criminal sexual conduct charge after being sentenced in Gogebic County Circuit Court Monday.

Tylor David Morrison, 28, was sentenced to serve between 75 months and 15 years in prison for third degree criminal sexual conduct.

The charge stems from the night of Oct. 13, 2017, when Morrison drove a woman he knew to a relatively secluded area of the county and assaulted her, according to court documents.

During sentencing, Gogebic County Circuit Judge Michael Pope noted both Morrison's lack of criminal record and the seriousness of the crime.

"Given the brief (criminal) history of Mr. Morrison, it would surprise anyone he was capable of that conduct. But he is capable of that conduct, and that's what he did to this victim on Oct. 13, 2017," Pope said, prior to imposing the harshest sentence allowed under the terms of the plea agreement in the case. "While he may have no criminal record before then, he certainly has a notable criminal record now."

Morrison pleaded no contest to the third degree criminal sexual conduct charge in June as part of the plea agreement. A no-contest plea is treated as a guilty plea but isn't considered an admission of guilt in the lawsuit.

The plea agreement called for three counts of first degree criminal sexual conduct be dismissed at Monday's sentencing and required the minimum sentence fall within the Michigan Department of Correction's sentencing guidelines of 45-75 months in the case.

Morrison received a jail credit of 278 days for time served prior to sentencing.

Along with his prison sentence, Pope said Morrison will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. He was also ordered to pay various fines and court costs.