CASSOPOLIS — An Edwardsburg man was sentenced to prison for a 2016 sexual assault on a 14-year-old girl. He was one of three area residents sentenced to prison in Cass County Circuit Court Friday.

Benjamin John Ballge, 44, of State Line Road in Edwardsburg, pleaded guilty to assault with intent to commit sexual penetration as a habitual offender and was sentenced to five to 30 years in prison. He must pay $1,048 in fines and costs and register as a sex offender.

The incident occurred more than three years ago on Feb. 28, 2016, at a home in Mason Township. Ballge knew the girl was underage but still grabbed and fondled the girl and stuck his hands down her pants.

“You are being sentenced as a habitual fourth offender with prison guidelines,” said Cass County Circuit Judge Mark Herman. “You’ve been to prison two times in 2010 and 2012. This had an emotional impact on the young lady. There’s no reason to deviate from the guidelines.”

“This was an awful thing he did to a 14-year-old child,” said Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz. “This was no case of Romeo and Juliet but Romeo’s grandfather and Juliet.

“He preyed on her and this will have an impact on her for the rest of her life,” he added. “She has post-traumatic stress disorder and suffered painful injuries, both emotional and physical. This is not how an adult should treat a child.”

Also Friday, Niles area teen was sentenced to prison.

Dakota Matthew Stanley first made headlines two years ago when he was sentenced for shooting his uncle. That incident occurred April 16, 2017, at a home in Milton Township and resulted in him receiving a probation sentence for careless use of a firearm causing injury or death.

Stanley, now 19, of Kline Road near Niles, has pleaded guilty to five more felony counts involving drugs and weapons plus violating his probation from the 2017 case. In the last instance, his probation was revoked, and he was sentenced to 365 days in jail with credit for 626 days served.

He was sentenced Friday to one term of 17 months to 10 years in prison for possession of meth, two terms of 17 months to five years in prison for two counts of possession of a weapon/firearms by a felon and 261 days, time served for possession of analogues. Those four sentences are concurrent and include fines and costs of $1,402.

He also was sentenced for use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and was sentenced to a consecutive term of two years in prison plus $68 in fines and costs.

The incident occurred March 8 at a home on Kline Road in Milton Township. Police initially found pictures of drugs and guns on Stanley’s phone and then searched his home and found both drugs and guns.

“You’re only 19 years of age. A lot of us would like to go back and be 19,” Judge Herman said. “You’re throwing your life away, and at some point, you will have to make a change.”

Herman noted that Stanley now has seven felony convictions plus five juvenile adjudications from the time he was 15.

“With seven felonies, your guidelines from now on will be big,” he said. “Most young people don’t have that record. At this point, you haven’t taken your situation seriously.”

“He’s at a crossroads in his life. He needs to stay away from drugs and weapons,” Fitz said. “He’s only 19, and he has a lot of life ahead of him. If he straightens things out, no one will be happier than our office.”

Also Friday, a homeless young man already in trouble for absconding from parole in Berrien County is headed back to prison.

Austin Alan Jarman, 22, pleaded guilty to unlawful driving away of an automobile and attempted resisting and obstructing police, and was sentenced to 18 months to five years in prison and $1,048 in fines and costs on the unlawful driving away charge and $550 in fines and costs on the other charge.

The incident occurred Sept. 1 at locations on Lake Street and Carberry Road in Howard Township. Police were called to a home on Lake Street where there was a larceny in progress. Jarman fled the scene and was later found near a residence on Carberry Road where he resisted police by fleeing into woods before being arrested.

In Berrien County, Jarman was sentenced for similar charges in 2017 and received a 16-month prison term. He was released from prison in early June of this year.

“It’s unfortunate that he did one crime and then expanded on it by resisting police,” Fitz said. “He started committing crimes in Berrien County and brought it here.”

Defense attorney Robert Drake relayed his client’s wish to be sentenced to prison rather than jail.

“Part of my role is to represent my client’s wishes whether I think it’s wise,” he said. “Given his parole status and what’s going on in Berrien County, he has said he prefers a prison term versus a year in jail.”

Jarman apologized to his victims and to the court.

“Look in the mirror and apologize to yourself,” Judge Herman said. “You’re the one who has to be straightened out.”