Shelby Township Police responded to a reported sexual assault at a local Walmart on October 23. The victim, a female in her 20s, alleged a man accosted her as she shopped at the store located at 51450 Shelby Parkway. The suspect, identified as 56-year-old Kirk Rogers, had fled the scene, but was later arrested and charged with second-degree criminal sexual conduct, as FOX 2 Detroit reported.
License plate readers and surveillance cameras were instrumental in tracking down Rogers, who drove away in a silver Jeep Patriot. "I want to thank the quick work of our officers and the Detective Bureau on locating this disgusting individual," Shelby Township Police Chief Robert Shelide stated, as recorded by the department's Facebook page. Despite the severity of the allegations and Rogers' history of prior sexual offenses, which includes a conviction for sexually assaulting a child in 2011, Rogers was granted a $500 bond after his arraignment on October 29.
Investigations revealed that this wasn't Rogers' first run-in with the law; previous arrests for similar conduct pepper his record, according to ClickOnDetroit. After the woman confronted Rogers during the incident, he reportedly dismissed his behavior as an innocent attempt to reach for something. However, Sgt. Kevin Bailey of Shelby Township Police detailed that "the investigation later showed that wasn’t completely true," in an interview with FOX 2 Detroit. The $500 bond decision has been publicized, yet no additional statements from the magistrate or the court have been offered as of yet.
As the community grapples with the reality of this repeat offender back on the streets pending trial, the police have voiced a resolve to prevent future incidents. "This is a person that has been investigated and arrested multiple times for assaulting young women and must be prevented from doing so again so the residents of Shelby Township can feel safe and protected from this type of monster," Chief Shelide told FOX 2 Detroit. The dialogue between police efforts and community safety continues, as does the saga of Kirk Rogers and the legal ramifications of his alleged actions.
