Bancroft

Republican Party activist Michael Bancroft of northern Michigan pleaded no contest on Tuesday to having sexual encounters with teenage kids, capping a two-decade history of deviant behavior that overlapped with his pursuit of top positions within the GOP.

Bancroft now stands in league with a select group of high-level GOP activists and party officials who have been found guilty of major crimes over the past few years. Bancroft has sought a seat on the Republican Party State Committee twice and, as recently as August 2018, he pursued election as a GOP precinct delegate. In 2013, he reportedly served on the GOP Executive Committee of the 1st Congressional District.

In court on Tuesday, Bancroft, facing seven felony charges including rape, reached a plea bargain with prosecutors that includes admission of having sexual contact with a girl 13 years old or younger, and a girl between 13 and 17 years old. According to investigators, Bancroft also had oral sex with a girl 17 years or older.

Up North Live reported that the charges for which Bancroft pleaded no contest were criminal sexual conduct/assault with intent to commit sexual penetration and two counts of criminal sexual conduct, second-degree assault. A no contest plea does not admit guilt but is treated as a guilty plea at sentencing.

Much of the evidence was based on reports compiled by Child Protective Services indicating a kinky sex life maintained by Bancroft from 2007-12 at his home in Benzie County, near Traverse City. According to TV Channels 9 and 10, based in Cadillac and the Upper Peninsula, the CPS documents show that Bancroft’s children were removed from the home in part because the sexual assaults involved underage relatives.

The allegations include making girls dance naked for him, putting his mouth on their toes and breasts, and making boys dress up in women’s clothing and perform oral sex on him.

The home was described by authorities as a health hazard, with rotting food, animal feces and urine everywhere, prescription drugs (Vicodin) within reach, and guns stored in an insecure manner.

Bancroft has previously served time in a separate case involving sex crimes with a young victim when he was living in Flint. Court records show that Bancroft was accused of sexually assaulting his babysitter in 2000 and faced two felony charges. He pleaded guilty after getting the charges bumped down to a misdemeanor assault, but his hopes of running for a GOP State Committee seat representing the 5th Congressional District were destroyed. After serving 30 days in jail and one year of probation, he moved to Benzie County.

There, the conservative activist made an unsuccessful attempt in 2015 at running for a State Committee seat in the 1st Congressional District, even as talk swirled in political circles about authorities investigating complaints of abuse and neglect of teens at the Bancroft home.

One GOP insider said that Bancroft was aligned with then-Antrim  County Republican Party chairman “Trucker” Randy Bishop, himself a two-time felon, and then-Republican State Committeeman Doug Sedenquist, who was convicted of criminal charges in Michigan and Wisconsin.

Bancroft now awaits his sentencing hearing to learn how long he will be back behind bars.

 

 

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