Robert Allen Shira - Repeat Sex Offender - Child Predator

A 40-year-old Ludington man was sentenced to one to 10 years in prison Tuesday for accosting a minor for immoral purposes.

Robert Allen Shira, 40, 616 E. Dowland St., Ludington, was sentenced to a minimum of one year and two months to a maximum of 10 years prison and must pay $120 in fines and costs, not including restitution, for the charge. He pleaded guilty Feb. 17.

According to Ludington police Shira made inappropriate comments to a 15-year-old Ludington girl and told other people he wanted to have sex with her. The case was reported to police Oct. 31, 2008.

According to Michigan law, accosting a minor for immoral purposes means a person 'accosts, entices or solicits a child less than 16 years of age, with the intent to induce or force that child or individual to commit an immoral act.'

He was out of prison on probation for previous charges when this incident was reported.

Shira, a registered sex offender, pleaded guilty in November 2007 to another charge of accosting a minor for immoral purposes and indecent exposure. A charge of using the Internet to commit a crime was dropped as part of that plea agreement.

Those charges stemmed from a July 18, 2007 incident in which Shira was accused of using a Web cam to communicate with a victim while he touched himself. He was sentenced to a year in jail with 150 days to be served up front and the remainder of the jail time to be served at the court's discretion. He was then placed on probation for three years.

He is listed on the state's felony offender tracking Web site as being discharged without improvement from probation. According to Michigan Department of Corrections Public Information Officer John Cordell, that basically means Shira failed the terms of his probation and the court sent him back to prison.

"25% of all sex offenders re-offend within 15 years"

.........Sarah Tofte