Grand Rapids Man Accused Of Recording Sex Assaults

GRAND RAPIDS (AP) - Federal prosecutors say a former executive director of Kalamazoo's Hispanic American Council recorded himself sexually assaulting a teenager and sold the footage on the Internet.

Ramon Berlanga-Rodriguez had been awaiting trial in Kent County Circuit Court on two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, producing child sexually abusive material and using a computer to commit a crime.

The Grand Rapids Press reports county prosecutors dismissed state charges on Monday after federal authorities took the case.

The 40-year-old Grand Rapids resident was sentenced in February 2012 to more than eight months in jail for embezzling money from the Hispanic American Council.

A message seeking comment was left Tuesday with defense lawyer David Kaczor.

According to WZZM-TV, Berlanga-Rodriguez is being held in the Kent County jail.

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