A dentist in Michigan was arrested on October 9 and arraigned for criminal sexual conduct and released from custody after posting a $20,000 bond, according to a news story published October 10 on 94.9 WSJM.
Dr. Charles William Howenstine, 45, of St. Joseph Dentistry in St. Joseph, MI, was charged with nine counts of criminal sexual conduct, fourth-degree force/coercion. Currently, Howenstine is being monitored electronically as a condition of his bond, according to the story.
If convicted, Howenstine faces up to two years in prison for each felony charge in addition to being listed on the sex offender registry.
Police provided no other details about these allegations or what may have led to the investigation, according to the news story. Howenstine is scheduled to appear in court later in October, according to the story.
The practice’s website has been scrubbed of any information about Howenstine.
Howenstine graduated from the Marquette University School of Dentistry and has been a principal dentist at St. Joseph Dentistry since 2017, according to his LinkedIn profile.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
