HILLSDALE — A Hillsdale man was formally charged Monday, March 11, in 1st Judicial Circuit Court with accosting a child for immoral purposes and using a computer to commit a crime.
Mark Russell Shemwell, 45, will next appear in court on March 18 at 1 p.m. for a criminal pretrial conference, and his attorney will meet with the Hillsdale County Prosecutor's Office to discuss the case and other pretrial charges. We plan to discuss issues that should be addressed and all other possibilities. Plea-bargained settlement.
Shemwell previously waived his right to a preliminary hearing in District Court 2B on Wednesday, March 6, and instead bound the case to the First Judicial Circuit Court for further trial. I requested that.
more:Jonesville martial arts instructor charged with sexting a minor
Shemwell, co-owner of the Shemwell Martial Arts Academy, spoke in front of his business in Jonesville on January 23rd as part of the Indiana-based Network to Eliminate Would-be Child Predators. He was encountered and arrested by members of the group “Exposing Predators''. Live on social media – Facebook live post, it went viral quickly.
In a Facebook video, Shemwell first admitted to sexting a “15-year-old girl” and arranging to meet and have sex with her. It turned out that the victim was an adult male, and EPIC Group was working as a decoy.
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Jonesville police responded to Shemwell's gym, EPIC Group turned over transcripts of text messages proving Shemwell's guilt, and Shemwell was taken into custody.
If convicted, Shemwell faces up to 11 years in prison and a $15,000 bond.
— Contact reporter Corey Murraycmurray@hillsdale.net Or follow him on X (formerly Twitter: @cmurrayHDN).
