Monday, March 22, 2010 | Since 1909 | East Lansing, MI Advertise | Classifieds | Puzzles | Employment | Contact Us
Feed:
Follow us on:
Mostly Clear, 32° F | 0° C
7 day forecast

Article Tools:

  • Share this article on Facebook
  • Digg this
  • Add to del.icio.us
  • Blogger
  • Comment feed
  • Print

After jail release, instructor remains on paid leave

By Brittany Shammas (Last updated: 11/15/09 11:00pm)

An MSU instructor and resident who faces charges for allegedly having sex with a 13-year-old girl remains suspended with pay after being released Thursday morning from Ingham County Jail.

mugshot

Higuchi

Takashi Higuchi, a 35-year-old Japanese citizen and instructor and resident in the College of Veterinary Medicine, posted a $10,000 bond and was released from jail under several restrictions, which include surrendering his passport and requiring court consent to change residences.

Higuchi is charged with third degree criminal sexual conduct, a charge carrying a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

After being arrested Oct. 12 and arraigned Oct. 15, Higuchi originally faced three counts of first degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of kidnapping. The charges stemmed from an Oct. 10 incident during which Higuchi reportedly brought a 13-year-old girl he had met through an Internet dating site, passion.com, to his East Lansing apartment. The two reportedly had sex.

Those charges would have mandated life in prison, but Ball dropped the kidnapping charge in a Nov. 9 hearing because no form of restraint appeared to have been used and many details of the incident were unknown.

The university made the decision Oct. 16 — 31 days ago — to suspend Higuchi with pay for 30 days pending further action. Despite meeting bond and being released from jail, Higuchi has not returned to work at MSU, university spokesman Jason Cody said.

Such decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, with input from the general counsel’s office and the department that employs an individual, Cody said.

“He is not on campus and is not working at MSU during this time,” Cody said.

Higuchi’s suspension is indefinite until the case is resolved, Cody said.

But there is no time line for how long that might take. Higuchi waived his Nov. 18 arraignment and no other appearances have been scheduled. Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III said it is impossible to estimate when his trial will be complete, and the process likely will take longer because Higuchi has been released from jail.

Trials for suspects who are in jail must begin within 180 days, but once a suspect has been released, there is no deadline, Dunnings said.

Cody said Sunday he does not know whether there is a limit to the number of days an employee can be suspended with pay.

Higuchi could not be reached for comment Sunday.

Higuchi’s attorney, Joan Morgan, said in court Nov. 9 she hoped Higuchi would be able to return to work, where he has the support of many co-workers who have vouched for his good character.

Morgan said Friday that Higuchi is grateful the court issued a bond. She did not know whether he would be able to complete his residency in July, as he originally had planned.

“I know he’s hoping to return to work,” Morgan said.

Originally Published: 11/15/09 10:51pm




Commentary:


Sex Offender

11/16/09 1:41am

The current economic condition that MSU is in does not justify paying a sex offender who is not contributing anything positive to the MSU community.

An Indictment is Not a Conviction

11/16/09 3:15am

As a state institution, MSU cannot legally terminate him or cut his pay at this point. It’s this thing we do in the US called due process. It’s terribly inconvenient; I wish we’d go back to accusations followed immediately by burnings at the stake.

Ben

11/16/09 8:55am

Chances are this guy is guilty. But I would have to agree, simply being arrested for a crime DOES NOT make you guilty.
As far as still receiving pay, its a pretty hairy issue. Expecially with professors at a publicly funded institution.

It doesn't matter

11/16/09 9:53am

STILL RECEIVING PAY!? You’ve got to be kidding me. What a joke.

Be Real

11/16/09 10:27am

I believe Higuchi’s DNA was found on the girl’s private parts. Whether the sex was consensual or not she is still underage.

Justice?

11/16/09 11:32am

It doesn’t seem fair that, if someone looks like they’re over 18 and claims that they’re over 18, a person can still be convicted as a pedophile for having sex with them.

Wow

11/16/09 11:45am

There are a bunch of people on here condemning this guy as if they can read his mind.

I am NOT justifying sex with a minor, but consider this:

He’s Japanese. As an American, I have always had a hard time judging the age/sex of many Asian people. What I mean by that is it’s very hard for me to positively judge whether I am communicating with a senior, freshman, etc, here at school.

...

View full comment »

Age

11/16/09 11:58am

So you’re saying that a 35 year old man cannot tell if a 13 year old girl is of age??????????

Wow

11/16/09 12:23pm

Age, yes, I am saying that a 35 year old asian man might have trouble telling how old a Caucasian girl is.

I don’t know this guy, and I don’t care. I am just pointing out that a bunch of people are sensationalizing this like this guy was some mincing pervert that was just waiting to molest someone. From what I can tell, he has no history of doing anything like this.

...

View full comment »

tough

11/16/09 12:38pm

too bad if you cannot tell. If you do the crime, you go to jail. Thats it. He should have asked for an ID.

RE tough

11/16/09 1:38pm

Next time you’re at a house party and some freshman comes up to you i’m sure you’re going to do the same thing right? Or should i tell you tough if it turns out shes 17?

I would normally automatically say he is guilty but given that the girl repeatedly lied about being of legal age and never in any way objected I think this is more of an unfortunate situation all around. Till more facts come out i dont know if he should go to jail or if he’s as much the victim as him reputation is ruined (potentially for something he did unknowingly). We’ll see.

Facts

11/16/09 3:09pm

I had a friend who was 20 at the time he had consensual sex with a 15 year old girl he had just met. He claims she told him she was 18. Because it was consensual he only received 1 year in jail. However, he is a sex offender and must register as one.

real world

11/16/09 3:13pm

It is being generally assumed the girl was Caucasian. She could also have been Latino or black. Many Latino and black girls of a very young age look much older than they are.

Biological science has shown that the three major races enter puberty at quite different ages: Black first (by far), Caucasians second, Orientals third. Hispanics and various other subgroups seem to also reach puberty faster. This girl could have been quite mature looking. And she advertised herself as such.

Tough situation.

Age of Consent is 16 in michigan

11/16/09 5:23pm

The Age of legal consent in michigan is 16. If this person is under 16 they are either a genius student at the university and very unlikely to be at the party, or they are much more likely still in high school

Tough break.

Multiculturalism is a Lie

11/16/09 5:28pm

Here we go again with diversity BS. Let’s hold the internationals’ hands and tell them don’t worry, you’re in a strange land.

Don’t worry about speaking, writing, and reading in the English language it’s so TOUGH for you in the United States of America that you chose to come here. Don’t worry about respecting our laws you poor immigrant you.

Let’s hold your hand and offer understanding for banging extremely underage girls.

Oh, you poor illegal immigrants, let’s tax all those stupid lazy middle class Americans and give you free hospital visits!

I’m ready to move back to my ancestors’ homeland of Ireland.

...

View full comment »

13 Years old

11/16/09 7:04pm

Why is everyone taking a play out of the pedophile play book and saying he didn’t know how old the girl was. The man banged a 13 year old girl end of story.

John

11/16/09 7:58pm

Dear “An Indictment is not a conviction”,

While you are right to remind us all of due process, you are mistaken to assert that the University must wait for a legal outcome in criminal court. If he is not proven guilty, it would not mean he did not do it. What it would mean is that the burden of proof was not met. Since that burden is appropriately high, it is often not met.

All that aside, the only thing that matters is if he violated some terms of employment.

...

View full comment »

re: Real World

11/16/09 8:01pm

Three things:

1. Did you just say “the three major races”?

2. Did you just say “Hispanics and various other subgroups”?

3. Did you REALLY just say ORIENTALS!!????

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sol Bilderberg

11/17/09 10:26pm

The girl posed as an adult looking for sex on an adult online sex finder website. Her computer showed a long history of luring adult men for naughty sex, in this case of clear entrapment. His computer showed that she indicated that she was an adult desiring sex. This is 2009, and 13 year olds on the web know exactly what they are doing, and she has successfully destroyed a very caring and lonely doctor. Any computer forensic scientist will proved that this doctor was duped!
caringhis

rhiannon

11/17/09 10:57pm

I actually know this guy & he’s nice. Innocent until proven guilty. Period. It’s one word against another. As far as kidnapping the girl, she texted someone in the car when he was driving. I believe she texted a neighbor “what’s up?” or “How are you?” If she was in trouble wouldn’t she have texted “HELP ME”?????? Also, she told her parents about the incident right after they announced they were getting a divorce.

...

View full comment »

Rhiannon

11/17/09 11:12pm

MSU is broke? They have 460,000 alumni worldwide!!!!! Aren’t the rich Boomers donating? Hello???? With notable alumi such as Eavin Magic Johnson, Sam Rami, James Caan (Vegas), Geoffry Fieger and Kirk Gibson…..you mean to tell me they are not donating? They have hiked up tuition in the last 15 years. I find it hard to believe they’re broke. By the way, the work those residents do & you guys are complaining about the measley wages they are getting. There are secretaries there that make more than the residents & the employees get free or half off tuition.

bob

11/23/09 4:21pm

The guy should be suspend with his pay put in escrow until final determination of the case. Period!

Aussie2020

11/25/09 5:15am

Next time he should ask to see the young ladies passport. But then many of them have fake IDs which show them to over 21!! to get into the many bars in Lansing, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, New York, … In Europe they do not need to, since the age to drink and probably have sex is 15!! or so. Only in the USA is the drinking age 21, and the driving age 16, and sexual maturity age 18.

...

View full comment »



PHOTOS OF THE WEEK:More reprints »
Photo courtesy of Wharton Center /

Performers in the traveling professional group Nrityagram perform their tradItional Indian dances.

Powered by reprints.statenews.com.