On October 13, 2020, Investigator Runde was advised of an alleged Criminal Sexual Conduct report. Runde reviewed the reports and learned that the alleged victim’s mother, M.D., had disclosed in a therapy session that on May 11, 2020, her 8-year-old daughter, hereinafter referred to as Child A, was sexually assaulted by M.D.’s former boyfriend, Justin Dexter Antonsen, (DOB 04/23/1984), Defendant herein. The summary indicated Defendant was home with the kids while they were doing distance learning. When M.D. returned home from work, Child A seemed off and upset. When M.D. spoke with Child A in private, she told M.D. that Defendant "inappropriately touch her" that day. Child A reported to M.D. that it was while she was sitting at her desk doing schoolwork and Defendant touched her privates over her clothes. Child A said it happened suddenly and then Defendant pulled away and said "sometimes good people do bad things" and that was the end of it. M.D. confronted Defendant about this and Defendant admitted that he did it, said he did not understand why he did it and it did not make sense. M.D. also reported that Defendant’s oldest daughter, A.A., was present in the conversation and confrontation of this and was very aware of what took place.

A forensic interview was then set up through the Family Advocacy Center (FAC) in Brainerd. The interview date was scheduled for October 27, 2020. M.D. arrived at the FAC with Child A. Runde, along with FAC staff met with M.D. prior to the forensic interview with Child A. M.D. again explained that on May 11, 2020, she was at work and Defendant was at home with all of the kids. M.D. stated she came home from work and her son, A.S., came up to her and told her Child A was crying. Dudley stated that A.S. seemed really worried and said "I'm really worried about her" to M.D. M.D. stated when Child A came down, she was upset. M.D. stated she asked Child A what was wrong, and she would not say anything at first. M.D. asked Child A if she wanted to talk in private and she said she did. M.D. stated her and Child A went to M.D.’s room to talk. Child A sat on edge of the bed and she held Child A’s hand and asked her what was wrong. Child A paused for a long time and then said to M.D., “Justin inappropriately touched me." Child A told M.D. that “Justin” touched her "private parts over her clothes." M.D. stated that she and Defendant broke up that night and that she confronted him about it. M.D. stated Defendant admitted to the assault. M.D. described the conversation with Defendant as, "intense and painful." M.D. stated Defendant, "broke in front of me." M.D. stated she had to keep Defendant from taking his own life. M.D. stated Defendant was crying immensely and insisted he, "didn't understand what he had done." M.D. stated Defendant was "bawling when he realized the extent of what he did." M.D. stated Defendant said he touched Child A over her clothes and didn't' know why he did it. Defendant told M.D. that it was a "progression" and that it started when he would rub Child A’s shoulders and progressed from there. M.D. stated Defendant was "cognitive enough to tell me about what happened, then he just tried to kill himself for like 8 hours straight." M.D. reported that Defendant’s daughter, A.A., was eavesdropping that evening and overheard the entire scenario when M.D. confronted Defendant. A.A. joined in confronting Defendant, as well.

At approximately 1:30 P.M. on October 27, 2020, the forensic interview with Child A began. During the interview, Child A stated she was 9 years old and in 4^th Grade. Child A attends online schooling for distance learning. When Child A was asked by the forensic interviewer if she gets touches that are not okay with her, Child A was observed to pause for several seconds and then nodded her head "yes." When Child A was asked who gives her touches that are not okay with her, Child A paused again for several seconds and stated "my mom got together with someone that touched me on my privates and she broke up with him." Child A then disclosed one occasion when Justin was giving Child A “hugs and stuff” and “was holding me like a baby. He would rock me like a baby. He would start touching my private parts, which got me concerned.” Child A said Defendant was “touching my privates lightly with his hand” and stated that her clothes were on. Child A said that Defendant’s hand was “shaking” when he touched her privates. Child A stated this happened for about a month when she was going to bed. Child A then described another time that Defendant inappropriately touched her. Child A stated Defendant "tried touching my privates when I was in school, home school." Child A told the interviewer that, "whenever I would have a break from school, he would come up and start helping me with school and began touching my privates." When asked how this made her feel, Child A stated, "I got scared and didn't like it. I couldn't tell him that." Child A stated, "He wasn't gentle about touching my privates while in school." Child A was then shown an anatomically correct drawing of a girl's body. Child A circled the vagina area and buttocks areas on the front and back of the female drawing. Child A stated she calls the front privates "vagina" and her "butt" for the rear private area. Child A stated Defendant came in her room about 4 times that day and touched her vagina for about two minutes each time. Child A stated her clothes were on and he touched her over the clothes. Child A stated, "the first time he just touched me, the other times his hand was doing something different, I don't know how to say it. His hand was shaking." Child A stated she did not know what made him stop touching her vagina. Child A stated it happened in her room at her mother's house. She was on her Chromebook that she was given for school. Child A stated her mother was at work, her brother, A.S., was in his room doing school. Child A stated Defendant’s daughter, A.A., was also there that day. Child A told the interviewer that she told A.A. because she was so scared. Child A also stated, "Justin told me not to tell anyone, but I couldn't hold it in anymore, so I told my mom and she left Justin." Child A then described where she was at when this happened during school. Child A stated she was sitting at her computer at her desk in her room. Child A stated Defendant would come up behind and next to her and stand beside her. Child A stated Defendant would lean down beside her and put his hand on her shoulder. Child A stated Defendant’s hand would "go back and forth from side to behind and that's when he would touch my private parts." Child A stated when Defendant touched her vaginal area, he was, "not gentle like the first times." Child A stated Defendant would stop touching her and leave the room. Child A stated he would later come back and repeat this "four times" throughout the day. Child A stated she thinks Defendant’s hand was shaking because he was scared. Child A stated his "hand and arm were both shaking, just a little bit." Child A stated she felt, "shocked, scared, upset, mad. I just wanted to yell at him to stop it, but I was scared. I didn't know what to do." During the interview, Child A identified Defendant’s full name to be Justin Dexter Antonsen.

On November 12, 2020, Runde made phone contact with Defendant who agreed to come in to the police department to talk with Runde. Runde advised Defendant that he was not under arrest and he was free to leave. Runde explained that since he was in a police department, even though he was free to leave at any time, Runde was going to read him the Miranda warning. Runde then read Defendant the Miranda warning and Defendant indicated he understood and would provide a statement. Runde advised Defendant that he received a report involving an incident with one of M.D.’s daughters that occurred in May of 2020. Runde asked Defendant if he knew what Runde was talking about. Defendant stated, "I'm not totally clear on what that is." Defendant then asked, "what daughter?" Runde advised Defendant that it was M.D.’s daughter, Child A, that had disclosed this report. Defendant paused and stated, "okay." Runde advised Defendant that Child A had reported that he (Defendant) inappropriately touched Child A. Runde asked Defendant if he remembered anything like that and he stated, "no." Defendant stated, "Child A, she has been through a lot before I met them, she said it was me?" Runde told him yes. Defendant then stated, "interesting." Runde told Defendant that during the forensic interview, Child A disclosed that Defendant touched her inappropriately while he was helping her with distance learning at his house. Runde asked Defendant if Child A was ever home schooling or distance learning at his house and he stated, "yup, I'd help them out with it." Runde told Defendant that Child A disclosed that while Defendant was helping Child A with distance learning, he came up behind her, started rubbing her shoulders and then eventually moved his hand down and touched her vaginal area. Defendant stated, "okay." Runde then asked Defendant to tell him about that. Defendant stated, "that didn't happen." Defendant stated he would walk up behind them while schooling, look at their screens, maybe touch them on their shoulders and stated, "but nothing like that though." Runde advised Defendant that after this incident happened, Defendant had a conversation with M.D. Runde asked Defendant if he remembered that conversation and Defendant stated, "I, you know, it was a while ago." Defendant stated, "I don't like where this is going, I can't believe this is a thing." Defendant then stated, "Maybe there was slip or a thing." Defendant also stated, "I don't remember having any kind massive conversation about anything like that." Defendant further stated, "Maybe we had a conversation about it that night, I don't know. I don't know if I was the topic of that." Defendant then stated, "OK, yeah, probably."

Runde was later told that Defendant may have admitted the sexual assault to one of his close friends, G.O. On December 18, 2020, Runde went to G.O.’s place of employment and spoke with him. G.O. told Runde that he received a call from Defendant sometime around May of 2020 asking to talk with G.O. The two went on a drive and Defendant told G.O. that he “fucked up big time” and “touched a juvenile girl”. G.O. stated Defendant did not identify which girl, but G.O. had no problem immediately deciphering that it was one of the children in Defendant’s household. G.O. stated that Defendant told him that once it happened, Defendant suddenly stopped, was appalled by his actions, and quickly explained to the child that what just happened was wrong and apologized. Defendant told G.O. that he immediately went and told M.D. about it right away. Defendant told G.O. he was thinking about killing himself and G.O. told Defendant that was the coward thing to do and to not do that. Defendant told G.O. that someone had recently come around asking questions about this incident. G.O. stated he and Defendant then began talking about him taking Defendant’s belongings if, "he goes to jail.”

Runde also spoke with Child A’s siblings, A.A. and A.S., who remembered the incident and confirmed that Child A told them about it. A.S. reported that Child A told him that Defendant had touched her inappropriately. A.A. reported she remembered hearing a “really weird” conversation between M.D. and Defendant and that Child A later told her about Defendant inappropriately touching her. A.A. remembers Child A telling her about the incident “in the summer time.”