A Montrose Township man with a dark past is facing a grim future after being convicted of sexually assaulting a child, authorities said. 45-year-old Joshua Robert Eberline was found guilty on counts of first-degree and second-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a child under 13. This is not Eberline’s first encounter with the law – he was previously convicted in 2002 for assault with intent to murder, cementing his status as a habitual offender.

According to WJRT, Eberline's latest conviction could land him behind bars for life, as he faces a mandatory minimum of 25 years imprisonment. The jury's decision came down last Thursday, and Eberline's sentencing is slated for June 3. The gravity of his offenses, coupled with his habitual offender status, amplifies the severity of the expected sentence.

Details obtained by midmichigannow further confirm that the charges include one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct, both involving a victim younger than the threshold of adolescence. Eberline, at 45,, finds the machinery of justice to be unrelenting and unforgiving, reflective of a community's outrage and a legal system's resolve.

“I want the public to know that we take a tough stance on child sexual assaults and perpetrators must be prepared to face harsh consequences,” Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said, in a statement obtained by WNEM.