Woman Reports Sex Assault During Transport From Olmsted Co. Jail
Hastings, MN (KROC-AM News) - An employee of the Minnesota Department of Corrections is facing criminal sexual conduct charges stemming from an incident that occurred last month while he was transporting a female detainee from the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center to the Hennepin County jail.
The Dakota County Attorney's office says the woman told the staff at the Hennepin County jail that she had been sexually assaulted by 53-year-old Randy Beeler during the trip from Rochester to Minneapolis on September 30th. In her statement to investigators, the woman told Beeler she would "do anything" for some food after the officer indicated he was stopping for food at a McDonald's drive-through in Cannon Falls. She also stated Beeler asked her if that included "fooling around."
After driving away from the restaurant, the detainee said Beeler parked by an abandoned business, uncuffed her, and brought her to the front seat before resuming the trip north on Highway 52. While driving, the woman says Beeler exposed himself and they engaged in sex acts.
The criminal complaint says Beeler, who is from Foley, initially denied the allegations but later admitted to the sexual contact. Prosecutors note state law prohibits any sexual contact with a detainee and the consent of the other person is not a defense.
Conditional bail for Beeler was set at $20,000.
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