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Charges Deferred In Champlin Park H.S. Incident; Suspect On Immigration Hold

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The man accused of having sexual contact with a student in a Twin Cities high school is now on an immigration hold.

David Manito, 42, was due to be released from jail this afternoon after the Hennepin County Attorney decided not to charge him right now, but federal immigration officials requested he be held an additional 48-hours while they look into his status.

A Snapchat video taken by a student appears to show 42-year-old David Manito inside a bathroom stall at Champlin Park High School on Wednesday. He's accused of meeting a 19-year-old male student at the school for sex after the two connected on a cell-phone app. Police say the teenager has special needs.

Because both people involved were adults, prosecutors say they have to determine if the 19-year-old had the mental capacity or capability to consent to the sexual encounters, or if any other crimes occurred.

"This is a very complex and unusual case," Brooklyn Park Police Chief Craig Enevoldsen said.

For more than two days, Brooklyn Park Police worked a case unlike any they've seen out of Champlin Park High School. Since Wednesday, photos of Manito's arrest circled through the student body with little information on how he got inside the building.

"The individual was in the school for about 55 minutes total," Enevoldsen said.

Police say Manito gained access by skipping part of the check-in process and went directly to meet the student.

"A sexual encounter occurred in the bathroom," Enevoldsen said.

At one point, according to police, the two separated and Manito wandered the school on his own.

"Best we can tell, it's just walking in the hallway, looking at the facility itself and on his phone," Enevoldsen said.

Authorities say the two eventually met again in the same bathroom, but by then others took notice. One suspicious student who followed them into the restroom took a video of Manito in a stall.

"After that second sexual encounter, the man was confronted by students and exited the school where staff detained him," Enevoldsen said.

Jim Skelly of the Anoka-Hennepin School District says Manito tried to get away.

"The suspect did attempt to leave the school, but was apprehended in a foot chase that included a school security guard, a parking lot security officer, a teacher and school administrator," Skelly said.

There is still the potential to bring charges at a later date, but they were up against the deadline where they had to release him from jail.

Manito has no criminal history in Minnesota -- he doesn't even have a driver's license.

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