Jury Finds Former Hastings Priest Not Guilty of Sex Abuse

Minnesota Public Radio
May 26, 2015

http://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/05/26/hoefgen-verdict

A Dakota County jury acquitted former priest Francis Hoefgen Tuesday. A man had accused Hoefgen of abusing him more than 20 years ago.

Hoefgen, 64, of Columbia Heights had been charged with two counts of criminal sexual conduct.

A man reported the abuse to police in November 2013. He said he was molested from age 9 to 12 years old when he served as altar boy at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Hastings.

The jury arrived at the verdict in less than four hours.

In a statement released after the jury's decision was read in court, Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom said he was grateful to the victim for coming forward.

"Proving beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime occurred 24-26 years ago without significant corroborating physical evidence of the crime itself is always a difficult task," Backstrom said.