JACKSON, MI – A man accused of raping two women and sexually assaulting others is headed for a trial in Jackson Circuit Court.

William Akin, 37 of Spring Arbor Township, is facing three felony counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, two felony counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct, three felony counts of unlawful imprisonment, one felony count of kidnapping, one felony count of first-degree home invasion, one felony count of gross indecency and one count of failure to comply with the sex offenders registry.

Akin used the dating app Plenty of Fish to meet women, but his profile had photos that were not of him, multiple witnesses testified Tuesday, Sept. 24, in Jackson District Judge Michael Klaeren’s courtroom.

The first woman

In fall 2013, a victim met Akin on Plenty of Fish and they exchanged multiple texts messages and phone calls, she testified. The Citizen Patriot/MLive does not name victims of sexual assault.

She met at his house for pizza and a movie, and he started forcefully kissing her and straddled her on the couch, she testified. She asked him to turn on a movie, so he would stop. While he turned on bondage porn, she was able to text her son and had him call her, she testified.

She then pretended that there was an accident and she needed to leave immediately. When she walked towards the door, he blocked it, refusing to let her out. She was able to convince him to move and she left, she said.

She did not report the incident to the police until she saw the news reports of his arrest on June 26, 2019, she testified.

The second woman

In January 2016, another woman agreed to meet a man she had met from Plenty of Fish. They met in the parking lot of her apartment complex while her brother and daughter were in the apartment, which made her feel safer, she testified.

When she opened the car door, she saw Akin instead of the man she thought she had agreed to meet, she testified.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her into the passenger seat and closed the door, she testified. Akin would not let her leave until she kissed him, which she refused to do, she testified.

Akin started to drive away with her in the vehicle, but she was able to convince him to stop and stay in the parking lot, she testified.

When Akin released her arm and started rubbing his genitals over his clothing, she used the opportunity to get out of the car and ran away screaming, she testified.

The third woman

In October 2016, another woman woke up to see a naked man standing over her bed, she testified. She had met a man on Plenty of Fish previously but did not recognize him as the same man because the photo was different than the man, she testified.

Akin shoved his phone in her face that had a photo of the profile she had been talking to and said they were the same person, she testified. He also said he killed her dog. When she later got away, the dog was OK.

Akin then told her to perform oral sex, which she did because she was scared to make him angry, she testified.

He then raped her and threatened to cut her throat if she did not go along with it, she testified.

After Akin was done, he smoked a cigarette in a chair beside her bed while she smoked marijuana, she testified. He made small talk about his parents, job and love for animals, she testified.

She told Akin she needed to use the bathroom and as she walked out of the bedroom, he fled, she testified. She reported the incident to the police the next day, she testified.

The fourth woman

In March 2017, another woman started interacting with Akin on Plenty of Fish, she testified. After about two months of texts and phone calls, she moved into his house in Spring Arbor Township, she testified.

They broke up in July 2017 because she was talking to another man. Akin and the woman fought, and she moved into the second bedroom, but things stayed relatively normal, she testified.

On Aug. 5, 2017, she was getting ready to go to the mall with her mom and daughter. As she was walking out of the bathroom, Akin grabbed her by the neck and dragged her into the bedroom, she testified.

He proceeded to force her to have anal sex her while she was screaming, crying and saying “No,” until her mom knocked on the door, the woman testified. Akin said she needed to clean herself up before she left, she testified.

He used a washcloth to wipe the smeared makeup off her face, she testified.

The woman got in the vehicle with her mom and daughter and they went to the hospital, where she had a rape kit done, she testified. She declined to press charges at that time or have the kit processed, until a detective talked to her months later and convinced her to have it tested, she testified.

The kit found a hair in her underwear, which DNA testing matched to Akin, Jackson County Sheriff Detective Thomas Freeman testified.

The fifth woman

In June 2019, another woman met a man who would turn out to be Akin on Plenty of Fish, she testified. He was using photos that differed from who he was, she testified.

They planned to meet in Spring Arbor for ice cream, but Akin said his car broke down and asked the woman to pick him up, she testified.

She knocked when she arrived and he opened the front door and pulled her into the house by her neck, she testified. He pulled her shirt and bra off and threw her onto the couch, she testified.

He fondled her breasts and asked her for oral sex, which she refused, and he masturbated, she testified.

Akin refused to let her go until she said she wanted to be raped, which she refused to say, she testified. Eventually she said it and he let her leave, she testified.

In 2008, Akin was sentenced for fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct and third-degree home invasion. He was required to register as a sex offender after his release from prison.

A misdemeanor charge of malicious use of telephone communications will move forward in district court.

Michigan State Police previously said they believe there are more victims and anyone who believes they were a victim of Akin is asked to contact the detective bureau at 517-780-4587.

A date for the beginning of circuit court proceedings is not yet scheduled. Akin was arrested June 26. He has not posted the $500,000 bail and is lodged in Jackson County Jail.