Former Eaton County Clerk Kellie Bartlett has turned herself in for felony aggravated assault, according to Barry County Prosecutor Julie Pratt.
Kellie Bartlett was charged last week withaggravated stalking, a felony carrying a maximum of five years in prison.
Pratt told FOX 47, the charge stems from alleged stalking behavior that was elevated to a felony because, in September 2018, she was ordered by the District Court to have no direct, indirect or third-party contact with an individual.
On or about Oct. 4, she is alleged to have had third-party contact with the protected individual.
Bartlett's bond was set at $100,000 cash or surety. She also has been restricted from internet and social media sites.
Bartlett is also charged with several criminal charges, including two felony counts of using a computer to commit a crime; two counts of identity theft, both felonies; three counts of unathorized access to a computer, all felonies; one count of felony conspiracy; one count of false report of a felony; two counts of mesdeamenor ctalking; one count of intentional dissemenation of sexually explicit visual material; and two misdeameanor counts of using a computer to commit a crime.
This comes after she allegedly made false allegations of criminal sexual conduct against an Eaton County deputy.
Bartlett and the deputy were both employees of the Eaton County Sheriff's Office when they began a relationship in 2015. The relationship ended when the deputy, who is the alleged victim in several of the charges, ended the relationship in the spring of 2017 and requested Bartlett to not contact him.
When Bartlett continued contact, the victim advised his superiors and a mission team was assaigned to investigate Bartlett for stalking. As of December 2017, Bartlett no longer worked for the Eaton County Sheriff's Office.
In January 2018, Bartlett contacted the Michigan State Police and filed a complaint alleging that the deputy had sexually assaulted her in March 2017. Following an investigation, the MSP and mission team cases were turned over to the Eaton County Prosecutor, who dismissed themselves because of conflict of interest. The case is now assigned to the Barry County Prosecutor's Office, as of spring 2018.
"My review of the evidence in both investigations raised suspicion that the allegation against the deputy could be false. Considering that the rate of false reports of sexual assault are extremely rare, 2%-8%, a thorough investiation was necessary to ensure a fair and just outcome," Pratt said in a statment.
