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Posted on Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 2:20 p.m.

Ann Arbor high school student pleads no contest to sexually assaulting 2 youths

By John Counts

Ashley_Poe.jpg

Ashley Poe

Courtesy of the WCSO

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include information from Ann Arbor Public Schools regarding the 18-year-old's school enrollment status.

An 18-year-old Ann Arbor high school student pleaded no contest in the 14A-1 District Court Thursday to two charges of sexual assault involving a 12-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy.

Ashley Marie Thomas Poe is accused of sexually assaulting the youths, whom police described as "at risk."

“Both had a long history of being runaways,” said Ann Arbor police Lt. Robert Pfannes.

Despite telling a magistrate she was a student at Ann Arbor Tech High School at her arraignment, Liz Margolis, director of communications for Ann Arbor Public Schools, said they don't have any record of Poe as a student of the district. This does not necessarily mean Poe wasn't a student at some time, however.

Court records indicate an offense date of July 14. Police did not want to go into the details of the case due to its sensitive nature, though Pfannes did say the victims were local. Since a no-contest plea is not an admission of guilt — though the court treats it as such for sentencing — the circumstances of the charges aren’t revealed in open court.

Poe’s preliminary examination was waived in court Thursday after the prosecution and defense struck a plea deal that will dismiss the three original charges at the time of sentencing. The charges that will be dismissed are third-degree criminal sexual conduct in which the victim is between the ages of 13 and 15, second-degree criminal sexual conduct during the commission of a felony and accosting a child for immoral purposes.

Poe pleaded no contest to two added counts of assault with intent to commit second-degree criminal sexual conduct, both five-year felonies. Part of the plea deal included a sentencing agreement, and the prosecution said that it would not pursue more than one year of incarceration and additional probation.

Poe is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 7 in Judge Archie Brown’s courtroom in the Washtenaw County Trial Court. She remains in the Washtenaw Count Jail on $15,000 cash or surety bond.

John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

Comments

March Hair

Mon, Oct 1, 2012 : 4:53 a.m.

Mr. Counts, Could you explain the relevance of the information about the victims you included? I'm particularly interested in your decision to include this passage: "Ashley Marie Thomas Poe is accused of sexually assaulting the youths, whom police described as "at risk." "Both had a long history of being runaways," said Ann Arbor police Lt. Robert Pfannes." So far as I can tell, the only function of this passage is to turn this article into yet article about sexual assault that implicitly places blame on the victim. So the youths are "at risk." So they have long histories of being runaways. So what?

pbehjatnia

Fri, Sep 28, 2012 : 10:46 a.m.

Why is everyone here so concerned about the perpetrator? She is an adult. Regardless of what her experiences as a minor have or have not been - she made her choice to sexually assault these children as an adult. She should be sentenced as harshly as is possible. Have sympathy with the assaulted children. Not the adult perpetrator.

Brad

Fri, Sep 28, 2012 : 1:36 p.m.

Yeah, that's what NAMBLA says too.

joe.blow

Fri, Sep 28, 2012 : 1:05 p.m.

What does sexual assault mean? I think we spend too much time defining predators and adults vs children, in the end, does it really matter? All that should matter is the victim, the punishment, and the likelihood to offend again. But, we have no idea what this young lady actually did, so there really is no story here yet.

Tru2Blu76

Fri, Sep 28, 2012 : 3:19 a.m.

I too always have one (the same) question: and that is, why are all of these cases treated as "one of a kind" and "new to us?" There's always been a continuing stream of such cases, some "young person" gets convicted and is sentenced more according to sentiment than according to factual history for this kind of crime. Factual history: includes the knowledge that a percentage of young sex offenders go on to commit more serious crimes which have included single and serial murders. Factual history: including the knowledge that there are 1st-2nd-3rd degree versions of various sexually based crimes: evidence that this is a "group phenomenon" with many subgroups or types of sex offenders. I hope the court in this case is knowledgeable enough to realize that the accused should be examined by experts and a sentence tailored to the particulars is applied - if the accused is convicted. A predatory profile which starts with deceptions and ends with violence is a particularly troubling profile.

joe.blow

Fri, Sep 28, 2012 : 2:20 a.m.

I see a lot of comments here, but I'm not sure why. There are no facts in this case to indicate what she is actually accused of. Remember, she isn't guilty.

joe.blow

Fri, Sep 28, 2012 : 1:03 p.m.

Maybe I missed it then, but I didn't see any description of the crime. Pleading no contest is not pleading guilty. I've pled no contest traffic violations before, not because I thought I was guilty, but because I didn't think I could win in court. There is a difference. Sexual assault covers everything from an unwanted grope to rape, which in my mind has different ramifications. Like I said, no details, so I don't think it's fair to judge this lady until we know the facts.

Tru2Blu76

Fri, Sep 28, 2012 : 3:33 a.m.

Sorry but your supposition is contradicted by two things in the article: 1. there are victims, 2. there are specific & detailed charges which describe the specific crimes.

Angry Moderate

Fri, Sep 28, 2012 : 3:28 a.m.

One does not have to be found guilty by a court to BE guilty. No contest means accepting the consequences of guilt.

Anna

Fri, Sep 28, 2012 : 2:52 a.m.

Interesting, she did not plea not guilty.

Wolf's Bane

Fri, Sep 28, 2012 : 1:32 a.m.

Ashley Poe is a female, just to be clear. Thank you.

hairman

Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 11:36 p.m.

Have her split her year between the families of the Judge and the defense attorney. Now THAT'S justice!!!

justcurious

Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 9:41 p.m.

Always a plea deal...why bother to have charges anymore if they are usually dropped in a plea deal. She could get psychiatric counseling while incarcerated I would think. You always wonder if this is just the tip of the iceberg....as in how many other victims? It seems like the accused always has the upper hand nowadays...knowing they can always make a plea deal. Sorry, just venting.

Cash

Fri, Sep 28, 2012 : 10:34 p.m.

Exactly why there should be an attempt at rehabilitation.....or the cycle continues. Thanks for making my point.

Macabre Sunset

Fri, Sep 28, 2012 : 9:31 p.m.

From a purely humane viewpoint, what's the prognosis for those who are exposed to freed, unrehabilitated criminals? Or does no one spend anything on people who aren't committing crime these days?

Cash

Fri, Sep 28, 2012 : 10 a.m.

Angry.....I wouldn't suggest a method of treatment because I am not a psychiatrist. I would leave that to professionals. Not my field of expertise. From a purely selfish economic viewpoint, I would however suggest that tax money is wasted by throwing young people in cages and expecting that when they come out they will be rehabilitated. From a purely humane viewpoint, I would expect that tax money might be used, during incarceration, to treat the causes of the behavior in hope of rehabilitation. Otherwise, the cycle never ends.....as it exists today.

Angry Moderate

Fri, Sep 28, 2012 : 3:28 a.m.

Cash - what kind of rehabilitation would you suggest? What is the success rate?

Cash

Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 10:54 p.m.

Never been in prison eh? Me either but I know for a fact she doesn't have "the upper hand" on anyone. It's hell. And I assume your comment about getting psychiatric counseling was a joke. She will be able to attend some self-help group involving others who have committed the same crimes. That's it...and many of those who are older just make a farce of it all. Rehabilitation is non-existent.

Angry Moderate

Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 10:19 p.m.

Trials are expensive. No need to waste the court's time when she already knows she'll be convicted. Why they gave this particular criminal such a sweet bargain, I have no idea.

skigrl50

Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 8:21 p.m.

Maybe they should change the title to reflect her status as a non-student. Perhaps Ann Arbor Woman or Ann arbor Teen...

MSU0284

Fri, Sep 28, 2012 : 1:16 a.m.

I agree! Why would the title remain the same when it clearly says in the article now that she is not a student here?

FrankOZ

Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 7:52 p.m.

My question always is this - will the young offender get any help? And if not, how soon will she assault someone else? Some folks lament the punishment of someone this young, but there is very little in place to give the them the psychiatric help they need in order at least try to insure it doesn't happen again. Something tells me we'll see this face again and maybe next time she'll get a longer term so she can't hurt anyone again.

Skyjockey43

Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 8:55 p.m.

Treatment? So we should just roll the dice and take a chance that someone who has demonstrated the capacity to sexually assault a 12 year old won't do it again based on some sort of magical treatment? You might want to look into the rates of recidivism for sexual offenders who have been through treatment. Or would you be willing to take the risk of letting this person around your children? I'm sorry but there are just some crimes where a second chance is unwarranted. The sexual assault of a 12 year old is one of them.

Angry Moderate

Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 7:46 p.m.

What school? I'm sure parents want to know.

Madeline

Fri, Sep 28, 2012 : 1:23 a.m.

Ashley went to middle school with me, and I think for a year or two of high school, so she's definitely been in the Ann Arbor District.

Angry Moderate

Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 8:42 p.m.

BobbyJohn - perhaps YOU need to read more carefully. The article was edited AFTER I asked the question.

Angry Moderate

Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 8:40 p.m.

Geez, calm down people. I am almost positive that paragraph wasn't even there when I posted the comment.

Lorraine Gutierrez

Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 8:33 p.m.

it seems that many do not read before commenting.

Anonymous

Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 8:23 p.m.

It also says AAPS confirmed she was never a student in the AAPS system. Does anybody read before commenting?

BobbyJohn

Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 8:04 p.m.

As it says in the article in BOLD print, Ann Arbor Tech HS

Billy Bob Schwartz

Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 6:55 p.m.

I just don't get it. A year? Why only a year? This isn't like someone made a little mistake. Even on a plea-down, it's worth ten years, and he won't do more than a year? An 18-year-old man? A 12-year-old girl? Please explain this to me.

EyeHeartA2

Fri, Sep 28, 2012 : 1:29 a.m.

I think you answered your own question there, Billy Bob.

smokeblwr

Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 7:05 p.m.

Wait, what?

Billy Bob Schwartz

Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 6:58 p.m.

...woman.

annarborfan

Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 6:45 p.m.

Robert Lynch cs. 2010-2011

annarborfan

Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 6:44 p.m.

A Saline man 23 yrs old, soliciting young girls through computer used it just last year. Look into it.

Anna

Fri, Sep 28, 2012 : 2:53 a.m.

What point are you trying to make?

annarborfan

Thu, Sep 27, 2012 : 6:41 p.m.

There is program to that helps first time (sexual) offenders. You get to stay home tethered one year and your record shows no crime at end of period. Look into it.