Sex crimes in Minnesota come with very serious consequences. This is especially true when the charges involve minors or vulnerable adults. The “vulnerable adult” classification sometimes applies when the alleged offender is in a position of power over the alleged victim.
Recently, the former director of a chemical treatment program in Hennepin County was convicted of criminal sexual abuse of a client. The client was a 43-year-old sex offender who was receiving treatment for chemical dependency through the Salvation Army-sponsored program.
The sex offender, who has been in and out of prison since his 1991 rape conviction, said that his relationship with the 39-year-old former program director resulted in him getting back into drugs and eventually landing himself back in prison.
Prosecutors provided evidence suggesting that the former program director and recovering drug addict had a sexually inappropriate relationship between November 2010 and April 2011.
They told the jury of five men and one woman that the former program director had “a lot of control” over the sex offender because she could easily kick him out of the program, which would cause him to return to prison.
Ultimately, after deliberating for about two hours the jury agreed. They convicted the former program director of a misdemeanor, which could result in up to a year of jail.
As you can see, even a sexual relationship between two adults can result in criminal charges if it is determined that a vulnerable adult was taken advantage of.
Sexual misconduct convictions can ruin a person’s life. Not only is jail or prison time a possibility, being convicted of a sex crime could also require the person to register publicly as a sex offender for years to come. That’s why it’s vital to take charges like these seriously.
Source: Star Tribune, “Salvation Army program director guilty of abusing sex offender,” Randy Furst, Feb. 20, 2014