Township man gets 25 years for sex crime

By RICHARD JENKINS

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Bessemer - Jason Elliot Irvine will spend the next 25 years in prison for sexually assaulting a minor after he was sentenced in Gogebic County Circuit Court Wednesday.

"What you did, sir, is heinous. It's despicable and you are a monster - and you should be punished for that. You will be punished for that," Judge Michael Pope said as he imposed his sentence.

Irvine, 47, of Ironwood Township, received sentences of between 25 to 100 years on each of the two first-degree criminal sexual conduct charges he pleaded guilty to.

Irvine's plea agreement stipulates the two sentences will be served concurrently. Three other counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct were dismissed under the plea agreement.

Irvine was arrested in September following an investigation by the Michigan State Police's computer crimes unit and Wakefield Post into his online activity, which began when a Tumblr user contacted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding suspicious activity related to an account on the online forum where users post blog entries, photographs, videos and music.

Irvine said in November he had sex with a 10-year-old relative at his Margaret Street house at least twice.

"Mr. Irvine abandoned his job as a father to these children in the most egregious, thorough way possible. The only thing he could have done (worse), that he didn't, was kill them. And yet what he has done has altered their lives forever," Chief Assistant Prosecutor Tracie Wittla said, referring to a written victim impact statement submitted to the court on behalf of Irvine's two children. "They will never have what anyone, by any stretch of the imagination, would perceive to be a normal childhood."

Irvine apologized for his actions, but also claimed there was more to the case than what court was aware of. He also told the court that regardless of what he did to his kids, at least they weren't adopted like he was.

"I can say at least one thing, at least my children know their mother and their father. That's a lifelong thing that I have never had," Irvine said.

Irvine had originally pleaded guilty in November to the two felonies. However, Pope ruled earlier this month he hadn't been adequately informed the charges carried a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison. He chose to have his plea stand on Jan. 15 and continue with Wednesday's sentencing, rather than withdrawing it and proceeding to trial.

Irvine received credit for the 139 days he served in jail prior to sentencing.

As part of his sentence, Irvine will have to register as a sex offender and have no contact with his children. Upon his release from prison, he will be subjected to electronic monitoring for the rest of his life.

While the sentencing concludes the state case against him, Wittla told the Daily Globe there is a possibility federal authorities could decide to bring charges as well.