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Fork Township Officials Face Multiple Sexual Assault Charges

Two high officials, the township supervisor and clerk of Fork Township (Barryton) in Mecosta County were arrested under suspicion of 16 (currently) charges of first degree CSC assaults in connection with some apparently credible testimony of two teenage girls. As the supervisor and clerk often are the people who arrange contracts for townships (much like the City Manager and City Clerk do for Ludington), one would hope that the business dealings they have conducted may also be under suspicion. These are definitely not the $5 Million in bonds they are used to seeing.

Details of the extent of the problem have yet to be announced other than what's in the following video and article, but let's hope for all involved that the truth comes out, and the police can conduct a clean and mostly transparent investigation.

MECOSTA COUNTY, Mich. — Two Fork Township officials have been charged with a total of 16 charges of first-degree criminal sexual conduct for alleged assaults against two sisters related to one of the suspects, according to Mecosta County officials.

Fork Township Supervisor Jack Bark Sr., 70, and township Clerk Cathleen Martin, 47, were arrested this week after one of the victims contacted a school official, Detective Sgt. Casey Nemeth with the sheriff’s department said.

Bark is charged with eight counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct against a child under 13.

Martin, who is related to the victims, is also charged with eight counts of first-degree and two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct.

Neither suspect has a prior record and hadn’t been suspected before a victim came forward. They are both currently being held in Mecosta County Jail on a $5 million bond.

Fork Township Officials Face Multiple Sexual Assault Charges

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