Nelson County, ND (trfnews.i234.me) — Brendon Thomas Parsley, 49, a former school counselor at Dakota Prairie High School in Petersburg, North Dakota, has been recharged with multiple child sex crimes nearly a year after the original case was dismissed due to prosecutorial errors.
Parsley appeared at the Nelson County Memorial Courthouse in Lakota on May 23, 2025, for his initial appearance. He was summoned to the hearing rather than arrested. Parsley is charged with Class C felony sexual assault, Class C felony luring minors by computer, and Class A misdemeanor solicitation of a minor. These charges stem from allegations of inappropriate verbal and physical contact with two minor students he counseled at Dakota Prairie School.
During the hearing, the prosecution requested reinstating the original $25,000 cash or surety bond, citing safety concerns for the victims and the community. Parsley’s attorney, Mark Friese, argued for a lesser $5,000 bond, noting his client’s compliance with court orders during the previous case and lack of contact with prohibited individuals. Judge Kristi Venhuizen set a $10,000 unsecured bond, meaning Parsley will only need to pay if he violates conditions or fails to appear. The judge also imposed a no-contact order with the alleged victims but denied the prosecution’s request to prohibit contact with all minors not related to Parsley, deeming it too broad.
The original case against Parsley was dismissed in June 2024 after the state acknowledged improperly alleging a felony offense that should have been a misdemeanor, based on the age of one of the victims at the time of the alleged offense. The charges have now been refiled with corrected information.
Parsley’s next court appearance, a preliminary hearing, is scheduled for 10 a.m. on July 3, 2025.
Did you know?
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Class C felonies in North Dakota carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
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The refiled charges against Parsley reflect corrected information regarding the ages of the victims at the time of the alleged offenses, addressing the prosecutorial errors that led to the dismissal of the original case.
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Unsecured bonds, like the one set for Parsley, do not require upfront payment but become payable if the defendant fails to comply with court conditions.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.