Laurium teen appears in court
18-year old pleads no contest to CSC charge
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HOUGHTON -- An 18-year old Laurium man pleaded no contest to an amended fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct charge in 12th Circuit Court Wednesday. The alleged incidents took place over a two-year period from Aug. 2022 until Aug. 2024, according to Judge Brittany Bulleit.
Linkin Benjamin Carlin was originally charged with first-degree CSC with a person under 13. This charged was amended to fourth-degree CSC (by force or coercion), only after Carlin took a plea deal.
The agreement Carlin made with the Houghton County Prosecutor's Office included stipulations where the defendant would not become a registered sex offender and his house arrest would be lifted. According to Carlin's defense attorney, Bonnie Prevette, the 18-year old had been on house arrest since June.
Once the plea agreement had been heard by Judge Bulleit, she said she was taking the plea under advisement. This means Carlin's sentence will be put on hold. However, misconduct under the advised bond could jeopardize the plea agreement, Judge Bulleit said.
Bulleit was provided with a five-page report from the Laurium Police Department, which she said was satisfactory for a no contest plea.
According to MiCourt, Carlin's next hearings will be in 2027, with one in January and another conference Oct. 25, 2027 -- almost a full year from the plea hearing. Carlin could face up to two years for the charge.