A 21-year-old Twin Lakes Township man was arraigned in state district court this week on first- and third-degree criminal sexual conduct charges after being accused of assaulting an intoxicated juvenile in Hibbing. Dylan Allen-Lee Wenneson was 19 years old at the time of the alleged December 2024 incident, and he now faces a presumptive sentence of at least 12 years in prison if convicted on the top charge.
According to court records described by the Duluth News Tribune, Wenneson and the juvenile victim were drinking together on December 15, 2024, when the victim became blackout drunk. The victim recalled Wenneson holding their hands above their head and told him to stop, but the paper reports the assault continued. Wenneson has denied that anything sexual occurred that night.
Court filings reviewed by the newspaper also allege that Wenneson kissed the juvenile the following morning and told them it felt really good, and that he inappropriately touched the juvenile again days later. The victim reported the initial incident to the Hibbing Police Department in January 2025, setting off the investigation that led to this week's charges. Formal court records show Wenneson was charged on September 21, according to MN Crime.
Wenneson's Account to Investigators
When questioned by police, Wenneson reportedly said he believed the juvenile was 18 at the time. He claimed the juvenile called him while drunk and asked him to walk them home, and that he stayed overnight simply because it was late. Per the same account, he told officers the accusations only surfaced after he refused to get alcohol for the juvenile.
Investigators, however, say they found messages consistent with details the juvenile had already reported, according to the Duluth News Tribune's reporting. The criminal complaint alleges the victim was mentally impaired, mentally incapacitated or physically helpless during the assault, and that the encounter resulted in personal injury.
Statutory Exposure and a Presumptive Prison Term
First-Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct in Minnesota is a felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $40,000, under Minnesota Statutes Section 609.342. That same statute establishes a presumptive executed prison sentence of at least 144 months — 12 years — for a conviction, unless a longer mandatory minimum applies. Wenneson also faces a third-degree criminal sexual conduct charge.
Any qualifying conviction requires registration on Minnesota's Predatory Offender Registry, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.
Why the Case Landed in Hibbing
The case is being handled at the Hibbing courthouse, one of three St. Louis County courthouses with chambered judges, alongside Duluth and Virginia, according to the Minnesota Judicial Branch. Judge Robert Friday set bail at $100,000 with conditions or $150,000 without, and Wenneson was scheduled to appear in court the following Wednesday.
Prior Theft Conviction and Probation
Wenneson already carries a felony theft conviction out of Carlton County, where he reportedly stole more than $17,000 from a family member's bank account. The conviction was for felony theft, according to Arechigo & Stokka. That conviction currently has him under supervised probation through October 2027.
Wenneson remains under Carlton County supervision while facing new charges in St. Louis County.
