Paul Brunelle Apley - Child Molester

A Madison Township man was sentenced this morning to 12 years in prison after being convicted of nine counts of sex misconduct with a minor and a count of corruption of a minor.

Paul Brunelle Apley, 26, was convicted of having sex multiple times with a 14-year-old girl, whom he was dating at the time. He also was convicted of sleeping with her 15-year-old friend during the same two-month period over the summer.

Before his sentencing, Apley insisted he was being convicted of a nonsense law. He had previously told Lake County's probation department that "he didn't care if a woman was 15 years old or 50 years old. If there's a mutual attraction and the relationship's consensual, then sex should be permitted," Prosecutor Jamie Eck said.

"I face 73 1/2 years for having sex with my girlfriend. I fail to see the logic in any of this," Apley said, during his hearing.

To which, Lake County Common Pleas Judge Vincent A. Culotta replied, "Which one was your girlfriend? You had sex with both of them the same day."

Apley declined to answer, because he claimed his answer might affect his upcoming appeal.

In addition to his prison sentence, Apley also was named a sexual predator. He will now have to register with local sheriff's offices in counties where he lives for the rest of his life.