Former Kasson Officer Admits to Sex Abuse Charges
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A former Kasson Police Officer has entered into a plea agreement to settle dozens of child sex abuse charges in three different counties. A statement issued Friday afternoon by Olmsted County Attorney Mark Ostrem indicates 52-year-old Julio Baez admitted to two counts of first-degree and one count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct during a hearing in Olmsted County Court. He had been facing 21 charges in Rice County and 3 charges in both Olmsted and Dodge Counties involving the same victims over the course of over 20 years.
Olmsted County Attorney Mark Ostrem commented after the hearing, “Critical to reaching resolution was the involvement and understanding of the victims. It is unfathomable to appreciate the impact of Baez’s horrific conduct on each of their lives and we needed to ensure each victim’s voice was heard.”
The charges against Baez were filed last June shortly after he was hospitalized with self-inflicted gunshot wounds from an apparent suicide attempt near his home in Kasson. He is scheduled to be sentenced in April and faces a recommended sentence of 18-years in prison.