A township supervisor in Michigan was reelected on Tuesday, running unopposed against two write-in candidates, just months after being arrested in a sting operation for allegedly sexting a minor.
Democrat Ken Fletcher, 58, is currently facing felony charges of accosting a child for immoral purposes and using a computer to commit a crime, but that did not prevent him from regaining his long-held Delta Township supervisor seat on Election Day.
Fletcher, a supervisor for over a decade, resigned after being arrested in September.
He was allegedly caught by Michigan State Police’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Eaton County Sheriff’s Office after messaging with a law enforcement officer posing as a 15-year-old on the dating app Grindr.
Fletcher’s arrest report, obtained by NBC’s Lansing affiliate WILX, claims he was having sexual conversations with the officer and planned to meet with them. He allegedly claimed he was “just talking” with them, according to WILX.
With a court date scheduled for November 12, Fletcher must now decide whether he wants to give himself another chance as supervisor or stay away from the position. Michigan state law had required him to remain on the ballot.
“He can vacate the office if he is not sworn in by then, he can be sworn in and resign, or he can be sworn in and stay,” Mary Clark, Delta Township’s clerk and acting supervisor, told WILX on Wednesday.
Fletcher’s lawyer, Mike Nichols, told the station that his client is still considering his options.
“The biggest question I think for Ken Fletcher is, is this the right thing for not just me but for the community,” Nichols went on. “Am I still the best person for the job?”
