Police: Downriver Man With Contagious Diseases Forcibly Tongue Kissed Teen
WYANDOTTE (WWJ) - A 44-year-old man with multiple contagious diseases is under arrest after he allegedly forcibly kissed a Wyandotte teenager.
Kevin Bernard Sketoe, of Southgate, was arraigned Monday on two counts of assault and battery in connection with the incident, which took place Saturday afternoon near Bishop Park.
Officers responded to the park around 5 p.m. after receiving a complaint about possible criminal sexual conduct, according to a report in the News Herald. The 15-year-old girl told police that she was at the park by herself when a man approached her, introduced himself as Kevin and asked if she wanted to party.
The girl initially declined his request but said the man -- later identified as Sketoe -- was relentless. Feeling intimidated, the teen eventually gave in and agreed to walk with Sketoe to a nearby 7-Eleven store, where he said he would buy beer.
As the two were walking across Biddle Avenue, the man allegedly grabbed the girl's face and open-mouth kissed her. The girl told police she pushed Sketoe away but he grabbed her by the face again and kissed her a second time, using his tongue, according to the report.
When they finally arrived at the store, Sketoe apparently told the girl to wait outside as he went inside. The girl then called her friend, who showed up before Sketoe left the store. The two girls then walked back to the park.
A short time later, Sketoe allegedly found the girls at the park and again asked them to party. After declining his multiple invitations, the girl's said Sketoe finally left them alone. The friend called her mother, who arrived at the park and contacted police.
Officers found Sketoe in the park and according to reports, his speech was slurred and he was unsteady on his feet. He was taken back to the police department and during questioning, he admitted to having Hepatitis C and tuberculosis, according to the report. When officers asked him if he was HIV positive, he allegedly mumbled an answer they couldn't understand.
The girl was examined at a hospital, where she was tested and treated as a precaution.
Wyandotte Police Det, Richard Weise said she's expected to be OK.
"I talked to the mother who had taken her to the hospital. The doctors basically told her that (it's) highly unlikely that she's going to get anything from this guy," Weise said. "But they're gonna following up with her in a couple of weeks, just to make sure nothing happened."
Wyandotte Police Chief Daniel Grant told the newspaper that Sketoe was remanded to the Wayne County Jail, but he didn't know the bond amount. Sketoe is due back in court for a pretrial hearing on October 8.
