Huron County jury convicts man of groping care facility resident

by Mark Birdsall

A Huron County jury found a former resident of the Huron County Medical Care Facility guilty on Tuesday afternoon of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct for inappropriately touching a female resident who was mentally incapacitated.

The jury deliberated less than an hour to convict Bruce Bradley Ginther, 67, of groping the 67-year-old woman in a hallway of the facility on Oct. 22, 2021.

Fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct is a high-court misdemeanor punishable by up to two years in prison and/or a fine of up to $500.

Ginther, who currently resides in a Detroit-area nursing facility, will also be required to register with the Michigan Sex Offender Registry.

The Huron Daily Tribune does not identify victims of sexual assault.

The one-day trial featured testimony from the victim's younger sister, Huron County Sheriff's Department Detective Daryl Ford, care facility employees as well as the head of the Huron County Public Guardian's office

During Tuesday's testimony, the victim's sister told Chief Assistant Prosecutor David Wallace her sister had the mental capacity of a 2- to 3-year-old child.

The prosecution also showed body cam video of Ford interviewing Ginther in his room at the care facility, During the interview, Ginther admitted to touching the woman, telling the detective "I did something stupid and I regret it."

Defense attorney Andrew Lockard argued that Ginther's medical condition — Parkinson's Disease — played a role in the incident and the contact was unintentional and occurred when the victim attempted to hug his client, who was sitting in a wheelchair in a hallway at the facility. 

Ginther took the stand as the defense's only witness and testified that the woman, who resided in the room next to his, was his friend and the contact happened when she tried to hug him and he put up his hands to push her away from him.

Huron County 52nd Circuit Court Judge Gerald M. Prill scheduled sentencing for Monday, June 26 at 9 a.m. Ginther remains free on bond.

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Huron County jury convicts man of groping care facility resident