Berkley man sentenced to 6-30 years in incest case

Berkley man sentenced to 6-30 years in incest case

April 13, 2008

The Berkley man who pleaded no contest to charges he fathered a child with his adopted daughter will spend from 6.75 years to 30 years in prison.

Gerald Dale Snapp, 43, was sentenced to 81 to 360 months in prison April 3 by Oakland Circuit Judge Mark Goldsmith.

He had been charged with eight felonies, ranging from fourth- to first-degree criminal sexual conduct.

A no-contest plea is treated the same as a guilty plea by the courts, though a defendant pleading no contest neither admits nor disputes a charge.

"I'm happy with it, given a couple things," Oakland County Assistant Prosecutor Robert Giles said of the sentence. He said based on his knowledge of how the system works, Snapp will likely serve considerably more time than the minimum of 81 months and the sentence is what the victim wanted.

The victim, now 22, testified Feb. 12 during preliminary examination in 45A District Court, Berkley, that Snapp sexually assaulted her on three occasions - twice when she was 15 and another time when she 16 - while she was a foster child living in his home on Cummings. She testified he then had intercourse with her after she was adopted by him in September 2003, which resulted in her becoming pregnant with a daughter, now 3.

Snapp pleaded no contest to the criminal charges March 27 and also to neglect charges involving his two biological daughters and adopted son March 28 in Oakland County Circuit Court.

Snapp was an employee of the Michigan Department of Human Services at the time of his arrest, though he did not deal directly with children in his position.

Giles said Snapp's three minor children, who have been removed from the Snapp home, and the community are now safe. "They don't have to be worried about someone working at the Department of Human Services preying on children."

Snapp's wife, Hope, faces child neglect charges in Oakland County Circuit Court. The case against her was scheduled to resume trial Wednesday before Judge Martha Anderson, but was being adjourned to an undetermined date, according to a court employee.

The adopted daughter has moved, has a job, and is taking good care of her child, Giles said.

- By Karen Smith