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19-year-old charged with five felonies
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DARLINGTON - A Gratiot teen is charged with five felony counts related to allegations that he sent sexually charged texts and photos to underage girls and possessed child pornography last year and had sexual contact with a 14-year-old girl when he was 16.

Alex David Gertsch, 19, signed a $5,000 signature bond April 8 on three Class I felonies and two Class D felonies filed against him the same day.

Conditions of his bond include no contact with anyone under 18, including siblings unless a parent is present, and no access to Internet sites "including but not limited to Facebook, MeetMe, Craigslist, any chat rooms or networking sites."

The charge of sexual contact with a 14-year-old dates back to April 2010 and reportedly occurred at Gertsch's home on White School Road. The other charges stem from incidents between April and August of 2012.

Court records include texts he exchanged with three girls, then ages 16, 16 and 17. In several cases he tried to bargain for sex, promising to buy a girl cigarettes or cover her entrance to the county fair in exchange for sex.

Gertsch is being represented by Michael J. Schmidt. Former Lafayette County District Attorney Charlotte Doherty is prosecuting the case. The preliminary hearing is April 24.