BAD AXE, Michigan — A Huron County jury on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, found Mark W. Rolfe, the former owner of the Bad Axe Movie Theater and the Longshot Lanes bowling alley, guilty on all 25 counts of criminal sexual conduct after deliberating for only about 90 minutes, Huron County Prosecutor Timothy J. Rutkowski announced.

Source: Huron County Prosecutor's Office

The verdict closes a jury trial in Huron County Circuit Court that began with jury selection on November 4 and heard testimony from the three women, numerous former employees and law enforcement officers. The evidence presented at trial spanned more than 20 years, the prosecutor's office said.

Rolfe, 54, was convicted of 15 counts of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree involving one victim, and 10 counts in the fourth degree involving two additional victims — five counts for each woman. All three women had been employed by Rolfe at his Bad Axe businesses, according to the prosecutor's office.

What the jury heard

Prosecutors presented the case as one built on a position of authority and trust: Rolfe owned the two businesses where the women worked, and the jury heard testimony about conduct reaching back more than two decades. The case was prosecuted by Huron County Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney David J. Wallace.

The jury also heard from an expert in child sexual abuse, who explained the process of grooming — how trust, attention and manipulation can be used to break down boundaries — and addressed why victims of sexual abuse often delay disclosure, the prosecutor's office said. None of the three women is named in the prosecutor's announcement, and Awaaz Punjab does not identify victims of sexual offences.

How the case was built

The case began with allegations from an employee who, according to earlier local reporting, was younger than 16 at the time of the alleged assaults between 2006 and 2008, one of which prosecutors said occurred at the Bad Axe Theatre itself. The woman, now in her 30s, contacted the Bad Axe Police Department last year, setting the investigation in motion, the Huron County View reported.

Source: Huron County View

Charges then accumulated over several months. Rolfe waived his preliminary examination on January 22, 2026, and was bound over to circuit court on the first three first-degree counts. He pleaded not guilty to those counts on March 2. Additional fourth-degree charges involving separate alleged victims followed — he was arraigned in district court on February 27 on further counts, including a witness-intimidation charge, over alleged incidents between 2021 and 2022 — and he pleaded not guilty to seven fourth-degree counts on April 27. By trial, the case had grown to 25 counts.

At a final pretrial hearing on October 22, Rolfe rejected a plea agreement and chose a jury trial instead, the Huron County View reported. He remained in the Huron County Jail pending trial. Jury selection began November 4, testimony started November 5, and the proceedings were expected to take about five days.

Source: Huron County View

What the prosecutor said

"This case required tremendous courage from the women who came forward and shared their experiences," Prosecutor Rutkowski said. "Speaking publicly about sexual abuse is never easy, particularly when it involves someone who occupied a position of authority and trust. These women demonstrated remarkable strength in coming forward, reporting what happened, and testifying before a jury. Their willingness to speak up was essential to bringing this case to justice."

Rutkowski also credited the Bad Axe Police Department's investigation, singling out Detective Sergeant Derek Joy, who, he said, "devoted considerable time and effort to interviewing witnesses, gathering evidence, and conducting a thorough investigation" in a case whose allegations spanned many years.

What the convictions mean

Under Michigan law, criminal sexual conduct is divided into four degrees, with the first degree the most serious. The first-degree counts Rolfe was convicted of carry a maximum penalty of life in prison; the fourth-degree counts are punishable by up to two years in prison and/or a fine of up to $500, according to the Huron County View's trial preview. The final sentence will be imposed by the court and will take account of Michigan's sentencing guidelines.

What happens next

Rolfe is scheduled to be sentenced on January 11, 2027, at 9:00 a.m., before Huron County Circuit Court Judge Gerald M. Prill. Until then he remains in custody. For Bad Axe — a small city in Michigan's Thumb region where the theater and bowling alley were fixtures of local life — the verdict ends a case that has hung over the community since the first charges were filed early this year, and the sentencing hearing in January will set the final penalty.