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Former U.P. priest pleads guilty in Dickinson Co. case

LANSING – A former priest in the Upper Peninsula has pleaded guilty to the remaining sex abuse case against him.

Last month, Gary Jacobs, 75, pleaded guilty to four counts of criminal sexual conduct in Ontonagon County.

Friday afternoon, Jacobs pleaded guilty to one count of criminal sexual conduct 2nd degree in Dickinson County.

The plea agreement spans both counties. Other aspects of the deal include:

— Jacobs will serve between eight and 15 years on each of the five total counts, which will run concurrently;

— lifetime sex offender registration on the three counts of CSC 1st degree;

— tier II registration on the CSC 2nd degree charge;

— all victims – those involved in the charged cases and those who came forward since – can speak at sentencing if they wish;

— Jacobs will undergo sex offender counseling; and

— lifetime electronic monitoring when released.

“I am proud of the work done by our clergy abuse team to reach this plea agreement,” Nessel said. “None of this would be possible without the courageous victims who have been willing to share their stories in order to achieve justice.”

A sentencing date in Dickinson County is set for Friday, July 2 at 12 p.m. EST.

In Ontonagon County, Jacobs’ sentencing date is set for Tuesday, May 25 at 10 a.m. EST.

This plea agreement will result in the harshest prison sentence handed down thus far in the Michigan Attorney General’s clergy abuse investigation.

Previously, former priests Patrick Casey and Brian Stanley pleaded guilty in their respective cases.

This project was supported in part by Grant No. WE AX 0030 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.

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