CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — A violent sex crime against a child more than two decades ago in Clinton Township continues to haunt the victim, who says she’s speaking out to protect herself and others.
This comes amid an ongoing process to determine if the convicted rapist should go free now.
“At 11 years old, I was imprisoned, I was tortured. I was abused physically, sexually,” said Tiffany Henderson, who is now 43.
She says she recalls the physical and emotional scars caused by stepfather Richard McBrayer. He was sentenced back in 1994 to 20 to 40 years for two first-degree criminal sexual conduct convictions.
“He still fantasizes... to other children of that age, 11 to 14, and myself. Me in particular," Henderson said.
Attorney Kerry Ange said, “He recently indicated a sexual attraction to young children to his therapist in prison. How can there possibly be reasonable assurances of public safety?”
Last March, an appeals court voted against release in contrast to recommendations by the parole board to free the former police officer. The Macomb County Prosecutor says a new motion granted by the Supreme Court doesn’t ask whether or not McBrayer should be set free, but rather now allows for oral arguments for a hearing.
“This was a law enforcement officer. This is a person who was supposed to uphold the law. Role model, stepfather. living in the household — this woman hasn’t healed. Why should he? There’s no way to protect her. There's no way to protect anyone,” Prosecutor Pete Lucido said.
Ange added, “Let me point out that if he was convicted of CSC 1 — criminal sexual conduct first degree — on a child under 13 today, he’d be receiving a mandatory 25 years to life. He should definitely do 40 years. Facts and circumstances of this case are among the most heinous I’ve ever seen.”
Henderson says the pain she ensures each day is very real, adding, “Please know that I’m a real person and he robbed me of any normal life I should've had. I was physically abused to the point I had surgery recently in 2017 and it didn’t work.”
7 Action News reached out to both the parole board and state appellate defender’s office for comment. The board has declined and we’re still waiting to hear back from SADO.
