On Tuesday, a Hennepin County judge sentenced a 23-year-old former Richfield Middle School employee to a year in the county workhouse and five years of supervised probation after he admitted sexually assaulting a 14-year-old student at the school. Prosecutors had pushed for a significantly longer state prison term. The victim told investigators the assaults happened several times over about a month last spring.
Judge Sets Aside 14¼-Year Term, Points To Probation Potential
Over the prosecution's objections, Judge Sarah West set aside a 14¼-year state prison term and instead ordered one year in the Hennepin County workhouse plus five years of supervised probation, as reported by Star Tribune. In a departure report filed with the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission, West wrote that the defendant "is particularly amenable to probation, has shown success with community-based programming [and] has readily accepted responsibility," according to the paper.
Criminal Complaint Details Multiple Encounters At School
Police went to Richfield Middle School on May 13 after a student reported the assaults. According to the criminal complaint, the victim said she was first kissed in the school's basement and then taken several times to an area near the gym where further assaults occurred. She told officers the most recent encounter was on May 12 and that the pattern had stretched across roughly a month, based on details in coverage that cited the court records from KSTP.
District Pulls Employee, Offers Counseling Support
Richfield Public Schools confirmed the staffer was placed on administrative leave after the report came in and said the employee no longer works for the district, according to a message from Superintendent Steve Unowsky. In a letter to families, the district said counselors and mental health staff were available and shared crisis resources, including the Crisis Text Line, per Richfield Public Schools.
Charges, Guilty Pleas And What Comes Next
Prosecutors charged the man with first- and second-degree criminal sexual conduct. He pleaded guilty to one count of each, and prosecutors objected to the downward departure at sentencing, according to reporting by FOX 9. He was arrested in May at his Bloomington home and had worked at the middle school as a campus supervisor, paraprofessional and coach, the outlet reported.
Ongoing Support And Court Watch
The district has said it will continue to cooperate with law enforcement and support students while the case remains in the court system. Families seeking help can reach out to school counselors or local victim services, as noted by CBS Minnesota. Court records and the criminal complaint will be the public documents to watch for any additional filings or formal appeals.
