Child’s best interests

The court affirmed the trial court’s order finding that termination of respondent-father’s parental rights was in the best interests of the child, LTC, under MCL 712A.19b(5). The court held that “respondent’s sexual abuse of the stepdaughter and two of her friends, and his abuse of LTC in making him undress in front of the other children and making him sleep outside the tent during camping trips so he could continue to sexually abuse the stepdaughter, coupled with his failure to acknowledge or accept any responsibility for his actions and the fact that LTC did not want to have any further contact with respondent, provided more than a preponderance of the evidence to support the trial court’s finding that termination of respondent’s parental rights was in LTC’s best interests.”