(WWJ) — A Flint-area sex offender accused of grooming a 14-year-old girl for sexual acts has been charged with multiple counts of criminal sexual conduct.
Gregory Nieman of Mt. Morris was arraigned Tuesday after the Genesee Human Oppression Strike Team (GHOST) uncovered the alleged abuse, thanks to Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) at a hospital in Flint.
GHOST investigators began working the case on Feb. 15 after a SANE nurse picked up on “red flags” when the girl visited the Hurley Hospital emergency room, according to Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson.
“We’re so thankful for that SANE nurse who did that examination,” Swanson said in a Facebook Live video on Tuesday. “From there, this child was taken over to Voices For Children. And because of Voices For Children, we were able to extrapolate more evidence against Nieman, who has been grooming this victim for months and months.”
Swanson says Nieman — who has a lengthy criminal history as a sex offender — groomed the girl after meeting through a family connection by using video games, alcohol and CBD edibles.
He allegedly bonded with the girl, and potentially other victims, by playing Fortnite at a location in Grand Blanc, giving them gummies and alcohol, Swanson said, noting he got her “addicted.”
“We often talk about predators using grooming tactics and how they use this open door to step into a young person’s life,” Swanson said. “Mind you, a 14-year-old at the time, has a 14-year-old brain and 14-year-old maturity. This guy’s 36 years old, and he took advantage of that by using a common likeness called Fortnite. It doesn’t have to be Fortnite, it can be anything.”
After grooming the victim and calling her names like “baby,” Swanson says Nieman began sexually assaulting her within three days of when they first met. He was also recording and monetizing the sex, according to Swanson.
When his phone was taken by a GHOST investigator, Sgt. Jim Duhart, Nieman told him he “could’ve made a big amount of money off those videos,” Swanson said.
When Swanson asked Duhart on Tuesday’s Facebook Live video why Nieman would do that, he said it’s because he’s “talkative.”
“He’s arrogant, he thinks he’s untouchable. And he doesn’t think he’s doing anything wrong, is the worst part about it,” Duhart said.
Authorities believe there are other victims of Nieman and are asking anyone who knows something to come forward by contacting the sheriff’s office.
Nieman had previously been arrested in Saginaw County, violated his probation and wound up going to prison. He then went on parole in 2019, according to Swanson. No other details surrounding his previous cases were disclosed.
Nieman was charged with three counts of first-degree CSC, three counts of third-degree CSC and failure to comply with the sex offenders registration act. He is being held on a $50,000 bond.