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Minneapolis Criminal Defense Attorney Discusses Years-Old Sex Abuse Case

On Behalf of | May 28, 2015 | Firm News |

The trial has begun in Dakota County for a 64-year-old former priest who has been accused of sexually abusing an alter boy in the late 1980s and ’90s. According to a report in the Minneapolis Star, the priest served for twenty years in Hastings, where the abuse is alleged to have taken place.

The case revolves around the recollections of the former alter boy, who is now 36 years old. The prosecution says that the priest gained the child’s trust when he was elementary school aged and that the abuse escalated from when he was in the fourth grade until the priest left the church before he started seventh grade. However, the priest’s attorney encouraged jurors to keep an open mind about the details of the case and that it hinges only on the testimony of one person. The attorney also noted that the alleged victim did not come forward about the abuse until late 2013.

The former priest is currently free on bail. While he is one of many priests to be accused of sexual misconduct, only a few have faced criminal charges, the article stated.

Being accused of a sex crime against a child is a very serious situation. Whether you’re convicted or not, you face a loss of reputation. The consequences of a conviction include incarceration and having your name listed on sex offender data bases upon release. It’s important to have all of the information about sex crimes laws available to you and an attorney who has had success in defending individuals in sex crime cases. Minneapolis Criminal Defense Attorney Matthew T. Martin may be able to help you take control over the situation and minimize the damages that could be a result the accusations that have been made against you. For more information and a free evaluation of your case, contact us.