Charges have been dropped against a convicted sex offender accused of urinating on a 5-year-old Black girl in Michigan while calling her the N-word after authorities determined the kids involved made up the story “to avoid trouble,” reports the Associated Press.
As The Grio previously reported, 60-year-old David Allen Dean was arrested on the evening of August 22 after the girl’s parents called Grand Rapids police and reported that an elderly white male had urinated on their child and called her a racial slur while she was playing in an alley near her home with her siblings.
Another 5-year-old and two 7-year-old children reportedly witnessed the incident.
Authorities canvased the neighborhood and identified Dean as the suspect, who was taken into custody and charged with “indecent exposure by (a) sexually delinquent person.” He could have faced life in prison but according to ABC News, the shocking case took a surprising turn late Friday when the prosecutor’s office said the allegations made against Dean were false.
The kids involved reportedly admitted that one child urinated on another child and they concocted the story.
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Dean, who has a history of mental illness and has been non-compliant with the state’s Sex Offender Registry, was released from jail and the charge dismissed.
In a statement issued by Kent County, prosecutors said the children’s story was a total fabrication.
“A thorough investigation by the Grand Rapids Police Department, in conjunction with the Kent County Prosecutor’s Office, has revealed that recent allegation that an adult male urinated on a child were fabricated. After interviews by a trained specialist, the parents of the children talked to them more, and the children admitted the adult male was not involved. One the of the children urinated on another child, and the story was concocted to avoid trouble. Additionally, citizens in the surrounding provided a verifiable alibi for the recorded time of the incident.
We appreciate the conscientiousness of the parents in bringing the matter to the attention of the police, and in continuing to ask their children question as new evidence was obtained.”
Prior to Dean’s release, the police in Grand Rapids was accused of trying to protect him by not releasing his name or identity for two days following his arrest.