Macomb County pilot admits to sexual relationship with teenager

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MT. CLEMENS, Michigan (FOX 2) – A Harrison Township pilot currently serving a federal sentence for sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl he was giving flying lessons has pleaded guilty to local charges accusing him of soliciting a sexual relationship with her.

Rex Phelps, 72, was sentenced to two years in prison in March for sexually abusing the teenager during the flight.

In 2023, he was charged with having a sexual relationship with the victim at Ray Community Airport.

On Monday, Phelps pleaded guilty to molestation of a minor, a felony punishable by four years in prison, and two counts of fourth-degree sexual abuse, punishable by two years in prison in Superior Court, and therefore pleaded no contest, the Macomb County District Attorney’s Office said.

Phelps is scheduled to be sentenced in Macomb County District Court on July 24.

“It is my duty to uphold the law and protect the most vulnerable members of our community. A 15-year-old girl is not legally able to consent to a sexual relationship with an adult. This is a violation of her rights and a serious breach of trust. Our office will pursue justice to the fullest extent of the law to ensure the safety and well-being of all minors in our county,” Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido said in a press release.