KENT COUNTY, Mich. — The victim’s attorney is speaking out after a Kent County commissioner is arrested on six counts of CSC, evidence tampering and using a computer to commit a crime.
He said it’s been around 53 weeks since his client asked for a protection order against Rolls and the Michigan State Police began investigating in late 2012.
Rolls was arrested Thursday, Nov. 21 after he left a commission meeting.
Although court documents list some of the incidents as happening when the victim was 12 to 16 years old, her attorney said the abuse started when she was much younger.
“It went on since she was nine years old ‘til the time she was 23 years old,” said David Bonner.
The allegations came to light publicly when the alleged victim was 29 years old and attempted to get that PPO.
“This Mr. Rolls, for lack of a better phrase, took her under his wing to do this violent act and treated with her a mixture of threats and affection and for that reason she never came forward,” said Bonner.
The investigation may have taken quite some time because police investigators accuse Rolls of tampering with evidence by erasing it from his I-Pad.
Court documents say that Michigan State Police got a search warrant for Rolls’ home and his I-Pad was seized.
However, “When MSP Forensic Examiners attempted to examine the contents of the I-Pad it began to erase itself.”
Experts looking at the computer said, “this procedure was called a remote erase and was completed via a command sent to the I-Pad using a computer.”
Documents go on to say that Rolls’ wife, Dawn, “reported that Gary told her he had set up the remote erase of his I-Pad.”
We left a note on the family’s door for comment, but they did not return our request for an interview.
Meantime, those who were actually in the county commission meeting said they did not see the arrest that took place outside of chambers.
“That’s correct. Nothing happened at the meeting,” said Daryl Delabbio, Kent County Administrator.
Delabbio said even if Rolls is in jail for quite some time, other commissioners can’t remove him from office.
It would have to be done through public recall, a resignation or the expiration of his term.
Also, there are no restrictions on the number of meetings you can miss as a commissioner.
“There is nothing within the board’s standing rules that causes for removal as long as that person is elected to serve,” said Delabbio. “The assumption is that person will be present at meetings to vote.”
Meanwhile, the victim’s attorney is accusing Rolls of having a personality like Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde and hopes the courts bring his client justice.
“The victim may finally get some justice because the events that lead up to this unfortunate situation have been devastating in her life,” said Bonner.
Rolls could be arraigned in Kent County Court as early as Friday.
