Moorhead, Clay County (trfnews.i234.me) — A Moorhead man is facing felony charges in a child sex assault case.
Lawrence Alexander Leslie Jr is charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct.
He is also charged with second-degree criminal sexual conduct.
The child’s name is not being published.
What the complaint says
According to court documents, a 12-year-old reported repeated sexual assaults.
The report named Leslie Jr as the suspect.
The child said the first incident happened when she was 10.
She said she was cleaning her room at the time.
She told investigators Leslie Jr came into the room.
She said he started touching her in a sexual way.
The child said another incident happened a short time later.
She said she was on the phone with a friend.
She told police Leslie Jr told her to hang up.
She said he then came into her room and touched her again.
Documents say Leslie Jr gave the child $15 after that incident.
Investigators say the money was meant to stop her from telling anyone.
The child described another incident in the complaint.
She said she woke up and found Leslie Jr touching her.
Documents say she later told a friend what happened.
The complaint says Leslie Jr then confronted her about it.
Police say he told her he could get into serious trouble.
Documents say the last reported incident happened about one month before a forensic interview.
Investigation timeline
Court documents say a detective was assigned the case on January 6.
Investigators met with the child on January 15, according to the complaint.
The case was later submitted for charging review.
Court process and public records
Leslie Jr is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Case records may appear on Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO).
State law for these charges is listed in Minn. Stat. 609.342.
Related statutes are also listed in Minn. Stat. 609.343.
Agency information is available from the Moorhead Police Department.
If you need help
If you or someone you know needs support, help is available.
You can contact RAINN for crisis resources.
You can also file a report through the NCMEC CyberTipline.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.