Nelson County, ND (trfnews.i234.me) — Brendon Thomas Parsley, a former school counselor from Petersburg, North Dakota, has been recharged with multiple child sex crime offenses nearly a year after his initial case was dismissed due to prosecutorial errors.
On April 16, 2025, Parsley, 49, was charged with Class C felony sexual assault, Class C felony luring minors by computer, and Class A misdemeanor solicitation of a minor. These charges mirror those from his previous case, which was dismissed in June 2024 when discrepancies in dates and victim ages undermined the prosecution’s case.
The renewed charges stem from allegations by two women who, during interviews in December 2023, accused Parsley of inappropriate sexual conduct while they were minors under his counseling. One victim described the counseling sessions evolving into “flirty stuff” and physical contact, including an incident where Parsley allegedly invited her into his home and initiated sexual contact. The other victim reported that Parsley made inappropriate comments and engaged in physical and sexual contact, later threatening self-harm to manipulate her.
Parsley’s initial appearance is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on May 23 at the Nelson County Courthouse in Lakota.
Did you know?
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In North Dakota, Class C felonies carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison, while Class A misdemeanors can result in up to one year of incarceration.
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The North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation assisted in the investigation following a request from the Nelson County Sheriff’s Office in November 2023.
I’m Chris Harper, and I’m reporting for TRF News.