BRAINERD — A 22-year-old Rosemount man who sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl in 2019 was sentenced Nov. 5 for violating his probation.

Michael James Vance Linehan pleaded guilty in June 2023 to one count of third-degree sex offense with the victim between the ages of 13 and 15, while the perpetrator is older than 24 months. At the time of the aggression, Linehan was 17 years old, and the girl was 13 years old.

Contribution / Crow Wing County Jail

Linehan was

sentenced on May 1

to 10 years of supervised probation, with the following conditions: He must be actively enrolled or in a sex offender treatment program by July 31, 2024, or he would have to serve 90 days in jail, among other conditions.

After failing to enroll in a sex offender treatment program, the Crow Wing County Jail filed a memo on Aug. 1 saying Linehan failed to report to the jail as ordered, court documents state.

On October 17, the court issued a warrant for Linehan’s arrest following a report from Crow Wing County Probation, which stated that he had not completed a psychosexual evaluation and had failed to comply with all recommendations from the evaluation, specifically that he completed a specific treatment program for sex offenders. ; failed to contact probation as directed; and failed to obey the law and be of good behavior.

On Oct. 29, Linehan was arrested in Dakota County and transported to the Crow Wing County Jail.

Linehan went before Crow Wing County District Court Judge Charles Halverson on Nov. 15 and accepted a plea deal to his probation violation, admitting to the first two probation violations and waiving the violation of failure to comply with the law.

Halverson followed the original sentence and ordered Linehan to serve 90 in prison for failing to enroll in a sex offender treatment program. He was given 12 days credit for time served.

After his release, Linehan is placed back on probation with the same terms and conditions, including entering a sex offender treatment program within 30 days of his release.

According to court documents, on April 16, 2020, law enforcement received a report of sexual assault that occurred approximately a year prior and Linehan was identified as the perpetrator.

During a forensic interview, the girl told law enforcement about two incidents that occurred in the summer of 2019 while she was living at a residence in Baxter with her mother, brother and Linehan.

During one incident, the girl, her brother and Linehan drank and fell asleep in her brother’s bed. They hadn’t planned to sleep there. The girl woke up when Linehan touched her inappropriately. Linehan told him to shut up and that he would like it. She stated that she did not like it.

She said she felt out of control and felt “powerless”, “stuck”, “paralyzed” and “unable to move”.

During a separate incident, she, her brother and Linehan drank together. She said she started sleeping on the living room floor when Linehan came in, sat on top of her, then laid down next to her.

She said Linehan stood on top of her and sexually assaulted her. Afterwards, Linehan told her not to tell anyone and this would be their little secret.

When speaking to law enforcement, Linehan admitted to living at the home in the summer of 2019, although he denied anything had happened between him and the girl.

In May 2022, the court certified Linehan for adult prosecution.

TIM SPEIER, staff writer, can be reached on Twitter

@timmy2thyme

call 218-855-5859 or email

[email protected]

.

Tim Speier joined the Brainerd Dispatch in October 2021 covering Public Safety.