Clarissa Man Gets 30 Years for Six Sex Assaults

Clarissa (trfnews.i234.me) — A Todd County man will spend 30 years in prison for sexually assaulting six juveniles.

Mervin C. Kauffman was sentenced Monday to 360 months in prison.

Kauffman previously pleaded guilty to six counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.

His guilty pleas were entered June 5, according to the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office.

The assaults happened between August 14, 2015, and September 5, 2022.

State officials said the crimes occurred at Kauffman’s family home in Clarissa.

All six victims were juveniles during the period covered by the case.

Six First-Degree Convictions

Kauffman acknowledged having a significant relationship with each victim during his plea hearing.

The case resulted in six convictions for first-degree criminal sexual conduct.

Minnesota law covers several forms of first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving minors.

Readers can review the law through the Minnesota Revisor of Statutes.

The statute allows prison sentences of up to 30 years in qualifying cases.

Kauffman received a 360-month prison sentence, which equals 30 years.

The Todd County Attorney’s Office referred the case to the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office.

The referral was made under Minnesota Statutes Section 8.01.

That law allows the attorney general to appear in certain criminal cases after a county attorney requests assistance.

The full law is available through Minnesota Statutes Section 8.01.

The attorney general’s office generally handles civil matters rather than local criminal prosecutions.

County and city attorneys usually handle criminal cases in Minnesota.

The Todd County Sheriff’s Office investigated Kauffman’s case.

The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office announced the sentence September 14.

Attorney General Keith Ellison said his thoughts remained with the victims and their families.

He also thanked Todd County officials for their work on the case.

The sentence follows more than seven years of criminal conduct described by prosecutors.

Kauffman will now serve the prison term imposed by the Todd County court.

I’m Adrian Cole reporting for TRF News.