(WXYZ) — It’s a northern Michigan island with a dark and disturbing past. Fifty years ago, police and survivors say several boys were sexually assaulted on North Fox Island as part of a massive pedophile and child pornography ring.
Now, a special memorial is being installed on the island to honor the survivors.
Watch Heather Catallo's report:
For years, detectives have been investigating whether the North Fox Island pedophile ring is connected to the Oakland County Child Killer case.
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While the work to make that connection continues, a tribute effort is underway to honor the sexual assault survivors who endured unimaginable horrors on North Fox Island and across the state.
“I was 12 years old and I met the neighbor a couple blocks down the road. His name was Gerald Richards,” said Michael Farquhar. “Within a couple months, he pretty much had me fully groomed, posing with pictures and making movies with other children of sexual types of movies.”
Farquhar and his neighbor from Port Huron, Mark Schuck Sr., both say back in the 1970’s, Gerald Richards sexually assaulted them as boys. Richards worked as a gym teacher at a nearby Catholic school and worked as a magician.
“I thought he was safe because he had a wife and a child, so I thought this is a safe place,” said Schuck. “Jerry Richards ruined my life and introduced me to other people.”
They both say after extensive grooming, Richards handed the boys off to other men as part of a massive child pornography and pedophile ring in northern Michigan.
“There are three main ones that have always stuck with me. And that's Francis Shelden, Dyer Grossman, and Gerald Richards,” said Farquhar about the men involved in the ring.
Farquhar and Schuck say the men took them and several other young boys and girls to a Port Huron campground and eventually flew many of the boys to North Fox Island. The island is off the coast of Charlevoix and at the time Shelden, a millionaire originally from Grosse Pointe, owned the island.
“Richards and Grossman and Shelden came up with this one thing called Brother Paul's Children Mission. And they would tell the parents that we were there to learn how to read and learn about nature, learn about hygiene, and things like that. But in reality, we were all just being molested,” said Farquhar.
Law enforcement records obtained by the 7 Investigators show the state police later arrested Richards and worked to get Shelden and Grossman charged with sexual assault. Richards went to prison. But detectives say Shelden and Grossman fled, leaving survivors to face decades of pain and trauma.
That’s why now – decades later, Dylan Harrington has been fighting to honor the survivors.
“It's not a way of fixing what happened. It's a way of acknowledging it, validating it,” said Harrington.
The Navy veteran from Cadillac worked with Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources to have a bench placed on the now state-owned North Fox Island as a reminder to never let children be abused and silenced that way again. An online fundraiser raised money to pay for the tribute, and the DNR helped transport the bench to the island.
“I feel like it represents their identities being stolen from them, their lives being robbed. I feel that placing a memorial directly there reclaims their autonomy and their identities,” said Harrington.
Farquhar wrote the statement for the bronze plaque that’s now attached to the bench that was installed earlier in August. It says “In memory of the children who suffered under Brother Paul’s Children Mission during the 1960’s and 1970’s. We honor their courage, mourn their suffering, and vow to protect all children. Never Forgotten. Never again.”
“What do you want the world to know about North Fox Island?” asked 7 Investigator Heather Catallo.
“That it's not a myth, that it really did happen. And with the DNR putting this pledge on that island, that's a stake for us, that's the stake for survivors,” said Farquhar.
Farquhar and Shuck say this memorial bench is just the beginning. Now they are urging lawmakers in Lansing to move forward with the Justice for Survivors bills (HB 6047-6051), which would change the statute of limitations for sex assault survivors to pursue legal remedies.
“I suffered a lot growing up in all this stuff, and I want to help other children,” said Schuck.
“These are crimes against children,” said Farquhar. “I need to see Michigan get on board and give survivors a chance.”
The survivors plan to fly back to North Fox Island later in September to hold a small ceremony. While they say it will be very difficult to return to the island, they’re calling the memorial bench a victory after so many years of being ignored.
If you have a story for Heather Catallo, please email her at hcatallo@wxyz.com