Elgin Youth Wrestling Coach Faces Child Sexual Assault Charges

Wabasha, MN (KROC-AM News) - A former assistant youth wrestling coach for the Plainview-Elgin-Millville School District was arraigned today in Wabasha County court on charges that he repeatedly sexually assaulted a juvenile girl for more than a decade.

Forty-two-year-old Seth Russell Benike of Elgin is charged with four counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, one count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct, and two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct.

Volunteer Youth Wrestling Coach

According to the criminal complaint, Benike was the treasurer of the Plainview-Elgin-Millville Wrestling Booster Club and an assistant coach with a wrestling program. Plainview-Elgin-Millville Community Schools has issued a statement confirming that Benike had served as an assistant coach in the community education youth wrestling program for multiple years through the school district's Community Education Department.

School District Reviews Volunteer Oversight Process

The school district previously stated that Benike was not involved with the program, but it was later discovered that he had failed to complete the required volunteer approval process and was not listed in the school district's records as an approved volunteer. The statement says there was a failure in the process, and the school district is currently reviewing "how this happened and what changes are necessary to ensure all volunteer requirements are consistently enforced moving forward."

Wabasha County Sheriff's Office via Facebook

More Than a Decade of Sexual Abuse

According to the charges against Benike, investigators from the Wabasha County Sheriff's Office met with the victim in mid-April and were told that the alleged sexual assaults began in 2015 when she was in sixth grade and was 12 or 13 years old. The criminal complaint details dozens of alleged sexual assaults that continued through her childhood and into young adulthood, with the last incident allegedly occurring in February of this year.

Previous Conviction

Minnesota court records indicate Benike entered a guilty plea in Olmsted County court to first-degree criminal sexual conduct in 2004. He was given a 12 year prison sentence and was placed on probation for 30 years.