A Stearns County jury has found St. Cloud man Chibuzo Obinwanne Ikediego not guilty of first- and third-degree criminal sexual conduct. The charges followed a report that he sexually assaulted a woman in St. Cloud overnight on May 7.
KNSI reported the acquittal Wednesday. A release from the Mankato lawyers who represented him says a court order filed November 6 records acquittals on both counts.
The Reported Assault
Prosecutors filed the criminal complaint on June 5. The woman told St. Cloud police that Ikediego sexually assaulted her that night, KNSI reported in its account of the charging documents. The complaint said he came into her room, assaulted her, and held her down after she told him to stop.
The first-degree count carried a statutory maximum of 30 years in prison, and the third-degree count a maximum of 15, according to the defense release.
Video, DNA and a Denial
That June account described surveillance video showing Ikediego entering and leaving the woman's room four times between 12:07 a.m. and 2:15 a.m. KNSI also reported that DNA testing by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension matched him to evidence collected during an exam at CentraCare-St. Cloud Hospital.
Ikediego denied having sexual intercourse with the woman. He told investigators that a hug between them was consensual.
What the Lawyers Said
Patrick Casey and Zach Bahr of Mankato-based Knutson + Casey represented Ikediego. They said the verdicts reflect a central protection of the criminal justice system: prosecutors must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless that burden is met.
Public filings can be looked up by name or case number through Minnesota Court Records Online, which lets users view case details and public documents.
