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Retired Cop Busted For Sex With Teen Girl

WARREN (WWJ) - A 62-year-old retired Warren police officer is facing felony charges for allegedly having sex with a teenage student at the Warren high school where he worked as a guard.

Dale Malesh was ordered held on a $500,000 bond at an arraignment Wednesday on 10 counts of criminal sexual conduct.

Prosecutor Eric Smith said had sex with the 16-year-old girl at his Warren home over a period of several months. The pair also allegedly met at a nearby Roseville park for sex last winter.

"The Warren police and other police departments put liaison officers in the schools to assist in protecting our children," said  Smith. "And here Warren puts a police officer in there that they think is going to do a nice job and they think is going to help protect a kid, and instead he uses as his own ... dating site and finds a 16-year-old girlfriend."

Smith said the teen has feelings for Malesh.

"The victim, by all accounts, is in love with this defendant," said Smith. "And she's so young and so tricked by this defendant, that she doesn't even realize that she's a victim, which makes the prosecution very difficult."

"You know, the defendant was in a position of authority over her," Smith added. "He was a school liaison officer, a police officer, and then hired later on as a school security officer."

The age of sexual consent in Michigan is 16, unless you are in a position of authority,  in which case it is 18.

According to the Macomb Daily, the victim cried at an earlier court appearance and said the accusations were "overblown."

Malesh has no criminal history. He is facing up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

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