Hardin County man to be sentenced Tuesday in child sexual abuse case after plea deal

A Hardin County man, Michael Way Hazelip, 64, is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday in Elizabethtown in connection with a child sexual abuse case, according to Kentucky court records summarized by WAVE News. Hazelip’s case is pending in Hardin Circuit Court, where the formal sentencing is set for 10 a.m. July 7.

Hazelip has been charged with first-degree sexual abuse, with the charge involving a victim under 12 years old, the report said. The case summary described Hazelip as having accepted a plea deal, which led to the scheduled sentencing rather than a trial.

The reporting said Hazelip admitted to having a 9-year-old victim touch him inappropriately multiple times, and he also admitted to touching the young victim inappropriately. The allegations in the record relate to conduct involving a minor and are being handled through Kentucky’s criminal court process.

Under the plea agreement terms described in the WAVE report, Hazelip is expected to serve a seven-year prison sentence. He is being held on a $100,000 cash bond pending sentencing, according to the court-case summary referenced by the station.

The case comes through Hardin Circuit Court, the state trial level where felony criminal charges are prosecuted. Once sentencing occurs, the court will determine the final judgment in line with the plea agreement or any sentencing recommendations and requirements allowed under Kentucky law.

A plea deal and sentencing date in a child sexual abuse matter can affect multiple aspects of the case beyond incarceration, including how quickly the defendant’s appeals clock begins and how court custody and supervision are handled afterward. Until the hearing is completed, Hazelip remains in custody under the bond terms described by the report.

Following Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, the next procedural steps typically include entry of the sentence into the court record, service of the judgment, and any post-judgment motions or appeals that the defendant may file. The victim and family involvement in the process continues through sentencing and any related court proceedings, consistent with Kentucky criminal practice.

Hazelip’s sentencing is expected to be conducted publicly at the time scheduled by the court. If the defendant seeks to challenge the sentence later, those actions would proceed through the appellate process, with the underlying admissions and plea agreement forming a key part of the case record.