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62-year-old man sentenced for forcibly kissing teenage nanny in Leavenworth home

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A 62-year-old man was sentenced in Leavenworth County District Court after admitting to grabbing a 17-year-old girl and kissing her on the lips, according to a news release.

Michael Moreau pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery on March 8. A Leavenworth judge gave him a six month suspended jail sentence and placed him on one year of supervised probation on Thursday, said Todd Thompson, Leavenworth County Attorney.

“A kiss isn’t always just a kiss, like the circumstances we have here,” he said in the news release. “It took a lot for the young woman to come forward.”

The woman was hired as a nanny and was watching a child inside a Leavenworth home at the time of the incident, on Sept. 8, 2021.

As the child slept and their parents were away, Moreau came to the door, according to court documents.

He had previously borrowed a lawnmower from the residence. Moreau walked inside once the nanny opened the door. Shortly after entering, he grabbed the 17-year-old’s shoulders and told her to close her eyes. Then Moreau kissed her on the lips, per court documents.

He did not have her consent, court documents said.

Moreau was initially charged with sexual battery, but later pleaded to the lighter charge of misdemeanor battery, according to Thompson.

Both the plea and potential sentence were discussed with the 17-year-old before they moved forward. Thompson explained the teen felt the lesser charge provided the most comfortable outcome.

“We want to thank her for her courage in stepping forward,” Thompson said in the release.

This story was originally published April 13, 2023 at 3:52 PM.

Matti Gellman
The Kansas City Star
I’m a breaking news reporter, who helps cover issues of inequity relating to race, gender and class around the metro area.
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