Jury convicts Biloxi man of touching a child for lustful purposes

BILOXI, Miss. (WXXV)- A Biloxi man has been found guilty of touching a child for lustful purposes.

Fifty-eight-year-old Michael Gillich III was found guilty following a three-day trial in Harrison County.

In November 2022, the Biloxi Police Department began investigating a complaint after they were notified by a New Orleans hospital about the crime.

The investigation revealed that during Halloween 2022, a 12-year-old was visiting her mother and the mother’s boyfriend, Gillich III, had sexually abused the child.

During a forensic interview, the victim revealed that Gillich III had began sexually abusing her when she was 7-years-old and that the sexual abuse continued when she would visit her mother for visitation and while the mother was at work.

The investigation revealed that the child told a family member, who took them to a local hospital where the crime was reported to Biloxi PD.

The jury heard testimony from the child and the family member to whom she disclosed, watched the forensic interview.

The jury also heard from Investigator Lance Miller with the Biloxi PD.

Michael Gillich III was taken into custody and his sentencing is set for September 9, 2025.