By Amy Joles
Editor
CARO — Former Caro High School softball coach Mickey T. Gotwalt will spend at least seven years, two months behind bars – even though his attorney called that a “death sentence.”
On Thursday, Gotwalt, 52, was sentenced to a minimum of seven years, two months to a maximum of up to 15 years.
In June, the coach pleaded guilty to three counts of second degree criminal sexual conduct involving a 14-year-old girl who he previously coached.
“He attempted to control who she spoke to, what she wore…” said Tuscola County Prosecutor Mark Reene. “He had purchased wedding rings and made comments about taking her away, presumably out of state.”
Reene said the teenager did not have possession of the rings, but Gotwalt and the girl had spoken of marriage and running away together.
When Gotwalt was arrested, he was receiving treatment at a psychiatric hospital in Bay City. His attorney, Thomas Warda, stated that Gotwalt has attempted suicide several times and was in a depression, brought on by his battle with cancer.
Warda requested a mental health evaluation for Gotwalt in early 2011.
Gotwalt was deemed competent.
“When you have someone texting a teenager upwards of 350 times a day, it’s obviously an infatuation,” said Reene. “He knew what he was doing. Many times with these young victims, people will use the tactic of threatening suicide if things don’t work out and that was used in this situation, too.”
When Gotwalt was fired from his coaching position at Caro Community Schools and prohibited from being on school grounds, he reportedly parked at the neighboring Caro Community Hospital and met another student there to relay messages.
Authorities have stated that they believe Gotwalt had sexual contact with the girl while coaching her on school grounds.
Prior to his arrest, Gotwalt was seen abusing alcohol, and while at Covenant Hospital in Saginaw, he said he would shoot and kill the mother of the victim.
At sentencing, four counts of first degree and five counts of second degree criminal sexual conduct were dropped in exchange for Gotwalt’s guilty plea.
Warda stated that the charges that Gotwalt pled to did not involve sexual penetration and that the victim will “forget” about the situation.
“Just because he didn’t plead to it, doesn’t mean it didn’t happen,” said Reene.
He added: “If there is one thing that I know – and these gray hairs on my head testify to – is that a victim never forgets.”
Gotwalt apologized to the victim and his family at sentencing.
Amy Joles is the editor of the Tuscola County Advertiser. She can be reached at joles@tcadvertiser.com.