GRAND FORKS, ND (trfnews.i234.me) — Anthony Levias Eley, a 55-year-old man from Gonvick, Minnesota, will stand trial for six sex crimes allegedly committed against two minors in Grand Forks County. He faces three counts of Class AA felony gross sexual imposition of a minor under the age of 15 and is also charged with one count of Class C felony contributing to the deprivation or delinquency of a minor, as well as two counts of Class C felony possession of certain materials prohibited.
In February 2023, a 9-year-old girl reported that Eley had been sexually abusing her since she was 7 years old. She claimed he also made her engage in a sexual act with another young child and recorded the incident on video or photos. He threatened to show others the footage if she told anyone about it, according to an affidavit filed in the case.
Eley allegedly informed law enforcement that he had recorded a video of the children engaging in a sexual act but claimed he only did so as a way to scare them after walking in on them unexpectedly. The video and additional sexual photos were found in Eley’s email account, according to the affidavit.
The alleged abuse is believed to have taken place from approximately August 2020 through July 2021.
Eley appeared in court for his final dispositional conference on Thursday, Dec. 12. His attorney stated they planned to bring the case before a jury trial. A status conference was scheduled for March 17, with the possibility of the trial beginning the following day.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for trfnews.i234.me