Trigger Warning: This article contains references to the alleged child sexual abuse that some readers may find distressing.

A horrific revelation from a 4-year-old destroyed a Beloit family. The little girl confessed to her parents about her great-grandpa while he was babysitting her. The 71-year-old was arrested by the police, followed by a long interrogation.

Identified as Michael Brenton, the grandfather shared a detailed account of events. He did not claim that he was ever alone with the victim except in the basement of the house while playing. However, he did not deny the crime either.

He told the officers about his unfulfilling marriage and that this scenario was a test for him. Moreover, he quoted religious bible verses during the interview despite his heinous crime. He explained he took the girl outside the house intentionally so that he wouldn’t act on his thoughts.

He said, “It’s like when the Bible says avoid evil. If you’re not where evil is, then evil won’t see you, or you won’t find it.” Apart from the victim’s statement and the accused’s interview, DNA evidence was also collected.

Brenton’s wife was in tears during the interview and added that she could have prevented it all if she had had a clue about it. Several other family members came forward to say that the grandfather had not displayed any alarming behavior in front of them.

 

Meanwhile, the victim’s parents revealed he had behaved inappropriately with many family members in the past. This made them believe the 4-year-old’s allegations. Moreover, they said their daughter started having nightmares and did not want to be around the accused.

She was exhibiting trauma-related behavior and anger outbursts after the perpetrator executed the crime.

The judge sentenced Brenton to 29 years in prison, as the parents had asked for the maximum possible sentence. They expressed that his release after a short sentence could impact their daughter’s life.

With almost a 3-decade-long sentence, he would be 100 before he’s released. So he’ll probably stay imprisoned till the end of his life. On the other hand, his defense attorney wanted the judge to give him a 7-year sentence due to his age and clean record. The judge called out his lack of accountability: “You were a p–le, a ra–, and a s– offender. No lifetime of good deeds can overcome that.”

The case received national attention due to the nature of the crime involving a family member. The bodycam arrest video and police investigation footage have over 2.6 million views on YouTube.

Many viewers found it unbelievable that the great-grandfather was religious yet predatory. One viewer pointed out, “Referencing the Bible when faced with child sexual assault is crazy work.” Another viewer replied, “Uses the Bible and Christianity to divert attention from who he really is.”

One viewer warned, “PARENTS! When your kids don’t WANT to be at someone’s house or in their company. LISTEN TO THEM IMMEDIATELY!!!” Another one noted, “She’s a sweetheart,” and added that “my wife doesn’t fulfill my needs” is such a disgusting justification for this crime. “He’s so worried about being publicly humiliated or “shunned “ but not once cares for the damage to the little girl,” commented one more. Over 12k comments expressed the same sentiments, but were relieved that he will be in prison till the end of his life.

Disclaimer: The Inquisitr individually could not independently confirm the facts of this incident and is reporting based on the information available within the public video record.