PLAINFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WZZM)- Plainfield Township Deputy Clerk and firefighter Jeffrey Hawkins has been arrested and charged with accosting children for immoral purposes, and using a computer to do so.
He faces two counts of accosting children for immoral purposes and two counts of using computer to commit a crime. Hawkins is also considered a habitual offender, this being his second offense.
Hawkins is suspended without pay from his positions as a firefighter and deputy clerk with Plainfield Township.
Hawkins is a 16 year veteran of the Plainfield Township Fire Department. He spoke with WZZM 13 Monday and acknowledged he was being investigated by the sheriff's department. He would not talk about the allegations, but did say the fire department and the township are not involved. He was arrested a short time later.
According to Lt. Kevin Kelley, the Kent County Sheriff's Department is investigating Jeffrey Hawkins for "soliciting minors for immoral purposes by means of a computer."
Hawkins is on the sex offender registry. Court records show he pleaded guilty in 1997 to fourth degree criminal sexual conduct, with a victim between 13 and 16 years old.
Hawkins has worked as a full time deputy clerk in Plainfield Township since 2001 and part time as a paid on call firefighter in Plainfield Township since 1993. Right now he is suspended without pay from both positions.
Plainfield is cooperating with the investigation. Lt. Kelley says, "We have confiscated computers that he had access to. Our forensic team is in the process of looking at the hard drives in those computers to see if there's any other illegal activity that's taken place."
Hawkins is under investigation for contacting a 15 year old through Facebook.
Lt. Kevin Kelley of the Kent County Sheriff's Department says there was never a face to face meeting with the alleged victim. But he thinks this should be a warning for young people. Lt. Kelley says, "Kids should be very guarded about what information they put out there, about themselves, about where they live, what town they are from because they never really know who they're talking to."
The Sheriff's Department initially reported Hawkins was at a school in October as part of a fall festival. However, Plainfield Fire Chief David Peterson and Hawkins both say that's not true, he was not at the school.
If convicted as charged, Hawkins could face more than 20 years in prison.
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