A Michigan judge has granted joint custody of an 8-year-old boy to the man who raped the child's mother.

She was 12 years old at the time, and Christopher Mirasolo was 18.

Mirasolo was given a plea deal for attempted third-degree criminal sexual conduct and served six and a half months in jail,

The mother is now 21 and her son is 8. She applied for assistance from the state, and Sanilac County, Michigan, filed a motion to establish paternity for child support.

Judge Gregory S. Ross awarded joint legal custody to Mirasolo after paternity tests showed he was the father of the child, according to the victim's attorney.

The mother is seeking protection under the federal Rape Survivor Child Custody Act,

An attorney for Mirasolo says her client did not initiate the court filings and she isn't sure if he wants parenting time.