Published: October 08, 2008 09:31 am         

US Supreme Court won’t hear appeal in Miss. case

Jackson — The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal of a Gulfport man convicted for unlawfully touching a juvenile during a beach outing.

Michael James McDonald was convicted in 2006 in Harrison County. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison on each of two counts of touching a child for lustful purposes. A judge ordered the sentences to be served at the same time.

The state Court of Appeals upheld the conviction in 2007.

According to court documents, McDonald had claimed he was merely applying suntan lotion to the young acquaintance.

The victim testified that McDonald touched her between the legs and rubbed his hands under both her swimsuit top and bottom, according to the court record.