Longtime Michigan referee arrested on Horrifying charges, accused of sexually assaulting underage athlete
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A veteran Michigan sports official was detained and accused of sexually assaulting a kid. Gerald Allen Sutter, 70, was taken into custody on Tuesday and charged with three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, including penetration of a minor male victim, authorities announced.
The Ingham County Sheriff’s Office claimed in a press statement that the arrest followed after information received that “a well-known athletic authority for child sports… was preying on young athletes.”
The officials said it believes there could be “numerous” additional victims and the cases could go over decades. Officials said the crimes happened between 2019 and 2021 at Sutter’s home on Fitting Avenue.
Gerald Allen Sutter, Michigan high school referee, worked in boys’ and girls’ sports for almost 50 years
Sutter, the accused Predator, also known as “Dewey” in local sports circuits of Michigan, used to umpire for sports such as football, baseball, and softball and traveled across the state officiating different sporting events from youth sports to college athletics, the sheriff’s office said. “It appears in this case unfortunately Mr. Sutter was using that role to groom his victim,” said Sheriff Scott Wriggelsworth during a press conference with WXYZ-Tv.
Over the past 50 years, Sutter has traveled all over Michigan state officiating athletics but primarily worked in the mid-Michigan area.
Anyone that has played or had children who have played sports in this area likely had games officiated by Sutter. “It appeared he was trying to befriend, primarily, young male victims, and kind of shower them with gifts and attention and other things like that to start building that relationship, all with the intent of potentially grooming them for these nefarious acts,” Ingham County Sheriff said.
Sutter is currently remanded to the Ingham county jail in Michigan.
Other potential victims were urged to come forward by the sheriff’s office. “We want to assure any person willing to come forward to provide information will be treated with dignity and respect,” the sheriff’s office vowed. “This investigation will be thorough and objective in our pursuit of justice.”
The police have set up a phone number and email address, and they’ve urged anyone who thinks Sutter may have abused them or someone they know to call them at 517-676-8440 or hotline@ingham.org.
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