Niles man gets prison time for sexually assaulting children

NILES — A Niles man who sexually molested young girls over a five-year period received a prison sentence Monday in Berrien County Trial Court.

Lawrence Charles Vail, 42, of Niles, pleaded no contest to one count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct and two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct. He was sentenced to 120 months to 15 years in prison on the third-degree CSC charge and credit for time served, 249 days, on the two fourth-degree CSC charges.

He must pay $514 in fines and costs and register as a sex offender.

The incidents occurred between 2017 and 2022 in Niles Township and involved more than one underage girl.

Vigansky described Vail’s conduct as “about as low as one possibly can get” as he violated the victims and was a predator rather than a protector. He said Vail didn’t deserve any break and should receive the maximum possible prison sentenced.

Briseno said that Vail suffered a major head trauma when he was a child and has abused alcohol as an adult. Vail said he was sorry for his actions and blamed them on his alcohol use.

“You weren’t so drunk that you didn’t know what your were doing,” said Berrien County Trial Court Judge Jennifer Smith. “You continued to drink knowing that this was something you might engage in … Your choice to drink was separate from your choice to do this. This was a selfish choice to engage in this behavior.”

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