A 64-year-old Newport man turned himself in to authorities after learning he had outstanding warrants accusing him of sexually assaulting children, according to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office. John Steven Sorovetz now faces four counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of accosting a child for immoral purposes, and investigators say there could be more victims.
Sorovetz's criminal case arrives months after he was already tangled in civil litigation over similar allegations. As reported by ClickOnDetroit, he turned himself in after being told warrants had been issued for his arrest, and the sheriff's office says the investigation remains open as detectives work to determine whether additional victims exist.
In January, a civil lawsuit filed in Wayne County Circuit Court named Sorovetz, the Boy Scouts of America, and the Michigan Crossroads Council as defendants, alleging he used his position as an assistant scoutmaster with Troop 508 in Ash Township to groom and sexually abuse a minor, according to the Detroit Metro Times. That complaint stated the minor's mother reported the alleged grooming and abuse to the Rockwood Police Department and the Monroe County Sheriff's Office as early as September 2025, months before Sorovetz's outstanding warrants surfaced, and that she later obtained a personal protection order against him.
A Trail of Civil Suits Before Criminal Charges
The Wayne County case was not the only civil action targeting Sorovetz. Two separate lawsuits were filed against him by anonymous “Jane or John Doe” plaintiffs in Monroe County courts in May, months before the felony warrant was formally authorized, per WTOL 11. Details of those Monroe County filings remain limited, and it is not yet clear whether the criminal charges stem directly from the scouting complaint or involve additional victims uncovered separately by investigators.
Sorovetz lives in Newport, an unincorporated community within Berlin Charter Township in northern Monroe County along the Lake Erie shoreline, the same outlet reports. He was a familiar name locally even before the allegations became public: in November 2024, he ran as a Republican candidate for an at-large seat on the Berlin Township Board of Trustees, placing third in the general election with 3,318 votes, according to Ballotpedia.
What the Charges Carry Under Michigan Law
The single felony count of accosting a child for immoral purposes, filed under Michigan Penal Code Section 750.145a, carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison and a $4,000 fine for a first offense, according to the Michigan Legislature. A conviction under that statute is classified as a Tier II offense under the state's Sex Offenders Registration Act, requiring 25 years of mandatory registry reporting after release, with Tier II registrants required to verify their address with law enforcement twice a year.
The four counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, covering non-penetrative sexual contact, are classified as high-court misdemeanors under Section 750.520e, each carrying a maximum of two years in prison and a $500 fine. That charge is generally treated as a Tier I offense under the registry law, mandating 15 years of reporting for convicted adults, according to the Davis Law Group.
Investigators Seek Additional Victims
Sorovetz's arrest fits a broader pattern of child exploitation cases pursued by Monroe County authorities in recent months, including one Newport solicitation case Hoodline covered after the county's VIPER task force arrested another local resident on similar accosting charges in March 2025. That case demonstrated the ongoing activity of the multi-agency task force targeting child exploitation in the Newport area, though it is a separate matter from the current charges against Sorovetz.
The Monroe County Sheriff's Office is asking anyone with information to contact its detective bureau at (734) 240-7530. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.
