Northern Minnesota Police Officer Charged With Raping Teenager

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A northern Minnesota police officer is accused of repeatedly raping a teenager and using his position as a cop to take advantage.

Twenty-nine-year-old Joshua Demmerly, an officer with the Warroad Police Department, is charged with third-degree sexual conduct, stalking and kidnapping, court documents filed in Roseau County show.

According to a criminal complaint, the victim accused Demmerly sexually of assault several times when the victim was 16 and 17 years old. He would allegedly give the victim and other teens alcohol.

The victim said that Demmerly would use friend-tracking devices to follow the teenager via phone. Sometimes, he would pull the teenager over on the side of the road to kiss the victim.

Once, the victim alleges that Demmerly took them from a group of people, made them get in the back of his squad car and drove off. While doing so, he turned off his squad camera and had his emergency lights on.

The victim said that Demmerly told them they were being investigated by authorities, claiming that the only way to dodge a search warrant was to spend more time with him.

The victim, who is now 18, told police that when they tried to avoid Demmerly, he would text and call them repeatedly. He would send photos of him holding a gun to his head, threatening suicide if they didn't see him.

Demmerly allegedly tried to kiss the teenager as recently as last month, the criminal complaint states.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) says Demmerly was arrested Tuesday and made his first court appearance Thursday morning. He is currently in the Roseau County Jail.

If convicted of the three charges, he faces decades behind bars.

The BCA is encouraging any other possible victims to call its tipline at 1-877-996-6222.