A Biloxi man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after being convicted of sexually abusing his girlfriend’s daughter, prosecutors announced this week.
Michael Gillich III, 58, was found guilty by a Harrison County jury on Aug. 21 of one count of touching a child for lustful purposes after a three-day trail.
Circuit Court Judge Randi P. Mueller sentenced Gillich this week to 15 years with three years suspended, leaving 12 years to serve day for day in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. He will also serve three years of post-release supervision. The sentence does not allow for parole or early release.
Prosecutors said the abuse began when the victim was about 7 years old and continued for years, often while her mother — Gillich’s girlfriend — was at work. The victim disclosed the abuse in November 2022, when she was 12, to a family member. That led to a hospital exam and a report to the Biloxi Police Department.
“This case has obviously forever changed two families,” Mueller said at sentencing, adding praise for the victim’s courage in coming forward and testifying in court.
Gillich was taken into custody after the verdict in August and had remained jailed while awaiting sentencing.
