Today in St. Louis County District Court in Duluth, Chief Judge Leslie E. Beiers sentenced Shawn Francis Mortensen, 46, to 144 months in prison for multiple acts of criminal sexual conduct against a minor, announced St. Louis County Attorney Kim Maki.  Judge Beiers rejected Mr. Mortensen’s request for both a durational and a dispositional departure from the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines in imposing the guideline sentence.  Mr. Mortensen sought departures, arguing that he was particularly amenable to a probationary sentence instead of a prison sentence.  Judge Beiers, however, found that correctional incarceration was appropriate under the law and denied both defense motions.

 

In May, after a four-day bench trial, Mr. Mortensen was convicted of two counts of Criminal Sexual Conduct in the 1st Degree – Sexual Contact with Another Person Under 13 Years of Age, a third count of Criminal Sexual Conduct in the 1^st Degree – Victim Under 16/Significant Relationship/Multiple Acts over Extended Period of Time, and a fourth count of Criminal Sexual Conduct in the 5^th Degree – Sexual Contact With Another Person Under the Age of 16 Years. The offenses were committed against a minor female between February 2012 and October 2015.  Pursuant to Minnesota law, Mr. Mortensen was sentenced only on count 3, because that charge included multiple acts of sexual abuse.

 

The case against Mr. Mortensen was initially charged in 2015, later dismissed, and refiled in 2018. While the road to this outcome was long, today’s sentence reflects the justice that can be achieved through the perseverance of the victim and the diligent work of law enforcement and prosecutors.

 

“We are deeply grateful for the victim’s courage and determination throughout this case,” said County Attorney Maki. “The passage of time does not lessen the seriousness of these crimes or our commitment to holding offenders accountable. We hope today’s sentence provides the victim with a meaningful measure of justice and closure.”

 

The St. Louis County Attorney’s Office thanks the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office and the St. Louis County Public Health and Human Services Department for their thorough investigation of this case and First Witness Child Advocacy Center for its expertise in forensic interviewing.

 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant St. Louis County Attorneys Angela Wilson and Kirstyn Oye.

 

For help please contact:

Domestic Abuse Intervention Project: theduluthmodel.org; 218-722-2781

American Indian Community Housing Organization: aicho.org; 218-722-2247