Former major league baseball player Chad Curtis is shown with one of his daughters, left, and his wife in Barry County Circuit Court in Hastings, Mich. Tuesday, August 13, 2013. The former major league baseball player was found guilty of criminal sexual conduct charges involving teenage girls at Lakewood High School in 2012. (Chris Clark | MLive.com)

HASTINGS, MI – Disgraced former Major League Baseball player Chad Curtis stood before a Barry County judge Thursday and said three teen girls had lied during the trial where he was convicted of sexually assaulting three Lakewood High School girls.

The judge responded by sentencing him to seven to 15 years in prison.

Curtis was a weight-training and football coach at Lakewood Schools before two girls came forward saying they had been groped by the privately-contracted substitute teacher in 2012.

The 15-year-old students accused him of inappropriately touching their buttocks and a 16-year-old said he touched her private areas and fondled and kissed her breasts.

In that instance, he was found guilty of third-degree criminal sexual conduct which includes sexual penetration.

She made a statement prior to sentencing before a packed courtroom that included Curtis’ wife.

“"I, myself, kept giving you a chance to walk away from the monster you'd become," the victim said. “As a Christian, I don’t hope for any bad things to happen to you. I hope for good things. I hope you admit what you’ve done to God and yourself.”

In addressing the judge on Thursday, Oct. 3, Curtis spoke for nearly an hour, going over his life since leaving baseball and working to convince the judge he was a Christian servant and not a selfish person.

During this lengthy statement, Curtis accused of lying every one of the girls and young women who had testified against him. He said he was the one who told the girls that he would not engage in a romantic relationship with them.

Of one of the victims, Curtis said "I believe her and I could write a book together someday and it could have a positive impact on a lot of people."

Judge Amy McDowell admonished Curtis, referring to him as “predator.”

After a week-long trial this summer, Curtis was found guilty of second, third and fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct.

"You certainly are a threat to any community you get into," McDowell told Curtis.

Supporters of both Curtis and the victims filled the courtroom, representative of an issue that has divided some members of the Lakewood community.

Curtis played for the six major league teams including the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees in a decade-long career that came to an end in 2001.

E-mail Barton Deiters: bdeiters@mlive.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/GRPBarton or Facebook at facebook.com/bartondeiters.5