A Mesa man allegedly threatened to hurt a teenage girl or kill her grandmother if word about their relationship got out.
Court documents show that 33-year-old Michael R. Preston met the girl--now 16--two years ago through a mutual friend. The two connected on Facebook.
On March 7, 2016, the two met at a vacant home near Stapley Drive and Baseline Road for sex. According to police, the girl told detectives the pair had sex 14 times between March 6 and 16.
After his arrest, Preston reportedly told police that he knew the victim was 16 but felt it was OK because it was consensual. Authorities disagreed.
He was booked into jail on 14 counts of sexual conduct with a minor and is being held on $150,000.
