An Oakland County Man Gets 2-15 Year Sentence After Being Found with Runaway 13-Year-Old Girl

In Oakland County, Michigan, a 21-year-old fellow named Douglas Corbeau is off to jail. This comes after a 13-year-old girl who had vanished from her home was spotted at his place some time back this year. On Thursday, Corbeau landed himself a 2-15 year prison sentence after admitting to third-degree sexual assault and offering sanctuary to a young runaway back in June.

Whenever he gets out, his name will go into the sex offender registry and he won’t be allowed to interact with the victim. It’s a stern sentence, but that’s the law and the community seems to be on board with it, since it sends a clear message: the safety of the minors is a high-priority matter.

The teen girl slipped out from her home in January and two days later, detective work led to Corbeau’s White Lake Township place. The girl’s dad, who seemed devastated, made known that his daughter has been battling with mental illness, making her an easy target to people with ill-intent.

The anguished father also told us that his daughter met Corbeau on social media and, without his knowledge, snuck out to be with him. He was even more upset to discover that while his daughter was with Corbeau, he had changed and dyed his daughter’s hair, potentially in an effort to hide her identity.

This incident has reminded all of us of the potential perils of online interaction and the need to monitor the online activities of minors. It also brings forward the necessity of continued community diligence and reporting, which played a vital role in locating the girl and securing her safety.

Remember: If you see something, say something.