Editor’s Note: This story contains discussions of child abuse that may be disturbing. Reader discretion is advised. If you suspect a child is being abused, find out how to report it in your state here. To connect with a counselor, you can call the National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4253.
(NewsNation) — A Michigan man has pleaded no contest to charges issued by prosecutors in Oakland County in connection with the kidnapping, rape and torture of a nine-year-old child.
The charges brought against Aaron Deneal McDonald include kidnapping, three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, assault by strangulation and torture. He faces a life sentence in prison.
The nine-year-old girl was kidnapped in October of 2021 and taken to a house in Detroit after being lured into a vehicle by McDonald. The girl later escaped from the house and was found by a local resident.
McDonald was identified and arrested that same month.
“The young victim in this case suffered unimaginable harm at the hands of the defendant,” Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said in a statement. “No child should have to endure what she went through.”
McDonald is still in custody at the Oakland County Jail. His sentencing hearing is set for May 2.