FERGUS FALLS, Minn. (trfnews.i234.me) – A Fergus Falls woman faces a felony charge involving alleged attempts to arrange sexual contact with a vulnerable adult.
According to court documents, Lawana Marie Beebout, 55, is charged with attempted fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct and harassment.
Prosecutors allege Beebout arranged sexually explicit communications involving a vulnerable adult and another individual during August 2026.
The case was filed October 2, 2026, in Otter Tail County District Court.
Police Investigate Concerning Messages
According to the criminal complaint, Fergus Falls police began investigating the matter on August 26, 2026.
Officers received a report that a group home resident had been receiving messages of a sexual nature.
Investigators learned that Beebout and the resident had met through a social club for people with mental illness.
The complaint describes the resident as a vulnerable adult with reduced cognitive abilities.
Beebout reportedly served as a member representative at the social club.
Group Home Staff Stop Planned Outing
On August 25, Beebout reportedly arrived to take the resident on an outing.
According to court documents, another group home resident wanted to join them.
However, Beebout allegedly insisted that only the intended resident could accompany her.
Staff members became concerned and instructed the resident not to leave with Beebout.
Beebout reportedly became upset and left without the resident.
The incident prompted staff to examine messages on the resident’s phone and tablet.
Investigators Discover Sexual Messages
Staff discovered message exchanges involving Beebout, the vulnerable adult, and a man.
According to the complaint, some conversations contained detailed sexual discussions between Beebout and the man.
The messages reportedly occurred between August 10 and August 24, 2026.
Investigators found that the vulnerable adult’s responses were generally limited to basic greetings and short messages.
One longer response raised concerns because its language reportedly exceeded the resident’s communication abilities.
The complaint states that Beebout acknowledged responding on the resident’s behalf during one conversation.
Messages also referenced plans for a meeting between the man and the vulnerable adult.
Woman Questioned About Allegations
Investigators interviewed Beebout about the communications and the planned August 25 outing.
According to court documents, Beebout provided varying explanations about the conversations.
She claimed that she created the group conversation to monitor communication between the man and the resident.
She also disputed investigators’ interpretation of the messages and claimed they had been taken out of context.
The complaint does not establish that any sexual contact actually occurred.
Two Criminal Charges Filed
Beebout faces the following charges:
- Attempted Fourth-Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct: A felony carrying a listed maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
- Harassment: A gross misdemeanor carrying a listed maximum penalty of 364 days in jail and a $3,000 fine.
The charges involve Minnesota Statute 609.345 and Minnesota Statute 609.749.
The complaint also identifies a previous second-degree criminal sexual conduct conviction in Todd County from November 14, 1994.
The current case was filed with a summons under court file number 56-CR-26-2461.
All allegations remain unproven. Beebout is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
I’m Adrian Cole reporting for TRF News.
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