Petersburg man pleads not guilty to sex charges

Michael Mills McClary, a registered sex offender from Petersburg, N.D., pleaded not guilty Friday in Nelson County District Court to five charges of gross sexual imposition.

Charges were filed April 19 against McClary for allegedly having sexual contact with multiple girls under the age of 15 in Petersburg, a town in Nelson County.

According to a news release from Nelson County Sheriff Kelly Janke, McClary faces a maximum penalty of life in prison for the most serious charge, a Class AA felony.

McClary is still in custody at the Lake Region Correctional Facility in Devils Lake, the jail reported Friday. His bond is $200,000.

A pretrial conference is scheduled for Sept. 12.

Lisa Gulya is a reporter at the Grand Forks Herald, which is owned by Forum Communications Co.

Tags: sex offender, news, crime