COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – A 21-year-old Coldwater man was arraigned in Branch 3A District Court Criminal Sexual Conduct Charges.
Jacob Lawrence Herwarth, has been charged with two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of accosting a child for immoral purposes in Branch County District Court.
The alleged incidents occurred on or about August 15, 2024, in Coldwater Township. Prosecutors say Herwarth, who was 19 at the time, engaged in elicit sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl. A third charge accuses him of accosting the minor with intent to induce sexual acts.
According to the complaint filed by Deputy Dakota Fox, the girl told investigators she met Herwarth online, disclosed her age as 15, and agreed to hang out after he said he was 19.
Herwarth allegedly picked her up along with a friend, took them to Taco Bell, and then drove them to a horse ranch on E. Colon Road.
The victim reported that the encounter escalated during a game of truth or dare, progressing from kissing to unwanted sexual contact despite her friend overhearing her refuse.
The girls later provided photos of the location that matched the ranch, which the owner identified as connected to Herwarth.
Herwarth was ordered held on a $150,000 cash or surety bond with strict conditions, including no contact with the victim or her friend and no unsupervised contact with any child under 18.
He is scheduled to appear in court on June 16 for a Probable Cause Hearing and June for a Preliminary Exam, before Judge Brent R. Weigle.
Each count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, while the accosting charge is punishable by up to four years and a $4,000 fine.
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