Essex Woman Called 'Traveling Sex Predator' After Assault on Michigan Girl

A 22-year-old Essex woman is charged in Michigan with the sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl that occurred last Thanksgiving.

Roseanne Valesco Balagot is being held in the Oakland County Jail in lieu of $75,000 bond. She is charged with criminal sexual conduct in the third-degree. Balagot waived a pretrial hearing.

The  Computer Crimes Unit had been investigating the incident since January.

Balagot, a Philippines citizen living in Essex, flew to Michigan over the Thanksgiving holiday. She picked up the 15-year-old victim, whom she met online, and took took the Rochester Hills girl to an area hotel and sexually assaulted her, according to investigators.

The victim's parents notified the sheriff's department when they found evidence of the assault on their daughter's Facebook page, according to the report.

The Baltimore County Police Department and FBI assisted the Michigan sheriff's department in locating and arresting Balagot.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard praised his department's Computer Crimes Unit for "removing a sexual predator from the street."

"It also serves as a reminder to all parents to educate their children and teenagers of the dangers of Internet predators and electronic media, and to closely monitor their use of the Internet, as well as their behavior," Bouchard said.

A trial date in Oakland County Circuit Court has not been set.