Punishment handed down in Kreuzer case
ANAHUAC — A controversial case against one of three locals accused of sex crimes against a minor that has drawn media attention over the last few years concluded recently.
In a well-publicized court action, Michael Kreuzer was sentenced after pleading guilty to indecent exposure in the presence of a 16-year-old Anahuac resident on Aug. 20.
Kreuzer appeared before visiting Judge Robert Trapp in the trial phase in Galveston County. According to court documents, in testimony at the sentencing phase of the trial, the young lady in question revealed she had an ongoing affair with Ethan Traxler, married, and a friend of Kreuzer.
During the time of her alleged affair with Traxler, the woman under seventeen years old claimed to have witnessed Kreuzer having sexual exchanges with Terrin Van Deventer, whom she refers to as a friend.
According to court documents, Kruezer received deferred adjudication for indecency with a child, plus 10 years of community service of two hundred hours. He will serve 180 days in jail on weekends as a condition of probation and agreed to testify at the trials of Traxler and Van Deventer.
Other stipulations include no contact with the victim, no contact with co-defendants, no contact with any non-relative minors, sex offender registration and fee, sex offender counseling, bi-annual polygraph, cell phone monitoring, alcohol monitoring, GPS ankle monitoring, one hundred dollar payment to BridgeHaven Advocacy Center, and not be within 1000 feet of the victim at any time.
On Feb. 8, 2024, Kreuzer was charged with Organized Criminal Activity, and on Aug. 20, that case was dismissed.
Kreuzer was initially charged with trafficking a child on Nov. 10, 2022, and according to court documents, that charge was dropped in June of this year.
The state’s attempt to consolidate the cases against Traxler, Van Deventer and Kreuzer on April 21, 2023, was denied, but the defense request for a change of venue on May 9, 2023, was granted.
Kreuzer’s trial was held in Galveston County with Trapp presiding after 253rd State District Judge Chap Cain removed himself from the case when Kreuzer pled guilty to indecent exposure. Trapp sent the case back to Chambers County for sentencing, as stated in court documents.
Traxler is charged with sexual assault of a child. The child coincidentally is the same young lady named in the Kreuzer case.
Allegedly, Traxler had consensual sexual relations with the young woman for a period before he ended the affair, as testified by the young lady in Kreuzer’s punishment phase.
The Traxler trial will be in Chambers County. Traxler’s attorney, Dustin Neyland, has filed a motion requesting sentencing, if necessary, to be assigned by the jury as shown in court documents.
Van Deventer will stand trial for trafficking involving the same young woman as in the other two cases. Allegedly, Van Deventer provided transportation for the young lady to meet Ethan Traxler at various venues during their affair. Van Deventer will come up for trial before the end of the year.