NILES — A man who Berrien County Trial Judge Charles LaSata called an “effective child molester” has been sentenced to prison.

Michael Lawrence House, 58, of Forest Street in Niles, pleaded guilty to third degree criminal sexual conduct against a victim age 13 to 15 and was sentenced Monday to 75 months to 15 years in prison. He has credit for 47 days already served and must pay $198 in fines and costs.

The incident occurred March 3 at a residence in Niles.

One of the victim’s relatives spoke before the sentencing.

“He brutally raped her and wouldn’t let her leave,” the man said. “She will be messed up for a long time. I hope you take it into consideration and give him no leniency.”

Assistant Prosecutor Jane Wainwright noted that House has a history of similar behavior although previous criminal sexual conduct charges had either been dismissed or pled down to a misdemeanor.

“He’s a predator. He abused her in every way,” she said.

House apologized to the victim and her family and blamed the situation on his drinking problem.

“I’m truly am sorry, I hope someday she will be able to forgive me,” he said. “I make no excuses, but my drinking played a major role in what happened. I will have to live with this the rest of my life.”

“This is a tough situation,” Judge LaSata said. “The [victim’s] family did a nice job maintaining their composure. You are an effective child molester who was able to pull it off without people realizing what you were doing. This was not just some drunken stupor. You knew precisely what you were doing.”

LaSata said he felt the situation warranted a sentence at the top end of the guidelines which called for 45 to 75 months in prison.

“I think you are a manipulative, evil, effective child molester,” he said.

In another sentencing, a Buchanan woman was sentenced to probation for failing to comply with the Sex Offender Registry Act.

Christie Lynn Bates, 41, of Hills Haven in Buchanan, pleaded guilty to failing to comply with sex offender registry rules and was sentenced to two years’ probation, seven days in jail and $1,198 in fines and costs. She cannot reside within 1,000 feet of a school or 500 feet of a park or have any social media profile.

The incident occurred between August 2018 and March 2019 when she failed to change her address with the sex offender registry. She was on the registry because of a 2010 conviction for assault and battery that was reduced from criminal sexual conduct.

“You’re not public enemy number one, but what’s troubling is that you had this conviction and had one other reporting violation,” Judge LaSata said. “You have to get it [reporting] down.”