Pickford Man Sentenced To 87 Months For Sexual Abuse Of A Minor

          MARQUETTE – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney sentenced Clifford Sutter to 87 months in prison for sexual abuse of a minor. Judge Maloney imposed the sentence after commenting that defendant’s conduct was “horrendous,” noting that Sutter had repeatedly sexually abused the victim over a significant number of years.  Judge Maloney also ordered Sutter to spend 15 years on supervised release after his confinement.

          “Protecting our most vulnerable citizens is a duty my office takes very seriously,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “We are committed to holding child sexual predators accountable as evidenced by the serious sentence imposed in this case. I commend the investigative work of our federal, state, and tribal law enforcement partners.”

          “Today's sentence is the final step towards holding this defendant accountable for the harm he inflicted on his victim,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “Protecting our children is a priority for the FBI and law enforcement across the state. I would like to thank the Sault Tribe Police Department and the Michigan State Police for their partnership during this investigation.”

          The investigation identified a minor victim who Sutter had repeatedly sexually abused from when s/he was 10 years old until Sutter’s arrest.  As part of his plea, Sutter admitted to sexually abusing the minor victim when s/he was 12 years old.

          The FBI, Sault Tribal Police Department, and Michigan State Police investigated the case. 

###