Former Harrison Township Pilot Enters No Contest Plea to Accosting Minor, Criminal Sexual Conduct Charges at Mt. Clemens Airport

Rex Phelps, a 72-year-old pilot from Harrison Township, has entered a no contest plea to charges including accosting a minor and two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct. These incidents occurred at Ray Community Airport and involved a 15-year-old student he was instructing in flying. Phelps is currently serving a federal prison sentence for sexual assault of the same teenager during a flight lesson.

Earlier this week, Phelps made the plea in the face of allegations that involve initiating a sexual relationship with the girl he was teaching. According to a report by ClickOnDetroit, the plea bargain relates to charges stemming from inappropriate contact that was discovered after a review of text messages between Phelps and the teenager. Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido denounced the violation of trust, stating, "A 15-year-old girl is legally incapable of giving consent to a sexual relationship with an adult. This is a violation of her rights and a serious breach of trust."

Phelps's defense lawyer made attempts to highlight his long teaching career and remorse for the events, but the court's decision reflected the gravity of the abuse. His strategy did not prevent the imposition of the federal sentence or the ongoing proceedings for his conduct on the state level. Phelps is set to be sentenced in Macomb County Circuit Court on July 24, as mentioned in a recent . This case has drawn substantial attention due to Phelps's previous role as both an educator and a member of the aviation community.

The federal charges that Phelps has already been convicted for include abusive sexual contact of a child, leading to a two-year sentence and five years supervised release. "Teachers and instructors are supposed to protect our youth while they progress in their learning environments, and it is utterly shameful that this individual took advantage of this young girl," said Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson, according to a statement obtained by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Phelps's future now holds not only a federal prison sentence but also pending state-level charges that further underscore the severity of his actions.