Twin Cities church volunteer accused of sexually assaulting children
A volunteer at King of Kings Lutheran Church and School in Roseville, Minnesota is facing criminal charges after being accused of sexually assaulting four children between the ages of 4 and 6.
According to a criminal complaint, 50-year-old Joshua Seeman had been volunteering at the church for the past two years.
On April 6, Roseville police were contacted by a parent whose 5-year-old son reported pain after attending Sunday school. The following day, three more families came forward with similar allegations involving their children.
Investigators say Seeman had reached out to some of the families offering to babysit and suggested taking their children bowling.
The complaint describes Seeman as a cognitively delayed adult with a long history of sexual assault allegations dating back to 2001. Many of the previous cases, which involved vulnerable adults, were not prosecuted due to his cognitive disability.
Under Minnesota law, schools are not required to conduct background checks on volunteers, though many choose to.
When contacted, King of Kings Lutheran Church and School declined to comment.
An attorney for Seeman couldn't be reached.
"I think parents need to just give themselves kind of some compassion. I think some parents might worry, did I miss something?" said Dr. Sarah Jerstad, a child psychologist, and medical director of outpatient mental health services at Children's Minnesota.
Experts say the case is a reminder for parents to talk openly with their children about boundaries and to pay attention to behavioral changes that might signal something is wrong.
"As a parent, if you notice something different with your child, it's absolutely important to just check in to see how they're doing, to see if anything upsetting has been going on," said Jerstad.
Seeman is currently being held at the Ramsey County Law Enforcement Center.
Prosecutors describe him as a high risk to public safety and are asking that he remain in custody.
If you know of a child who may have been a victim of exploitation, call the National Center for Missing or Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678 or visit the website.
