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Felony sex charges have been dropped against a Richville man accused of raping a 3-year-old last January.
Jesse Lee Olson, 40, was charged in Otter Tail District Court with four felony charges of criminal sexual conduct — two each in the first and second degree. The most serious charge carried a maximum punishment of 30 years in prison.
Those charges were dismissed July 6, after a Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension lab returned DNA results that were inconclusive, according to Otter Tail County Attorney Michelle Eldien.
She said her office dismissed the charges. “Our standards required proof beyond a reasonable doubt,” she said. “We have to believe at trial we could succeed.”
Although the charges were dismissed, they “could be reconsidered if further evidence comes forward,” she said.
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Olson called this newspaper as part of an effort to clear his name. He said he is innocent, and is calling all news sites that ran the original story about the charges being filed.
His attorney has filed a motion with Otter Tail County District Court to expunge records of the charge being filed. That motion was heard Jan. 14 and has not yet been ruled on, Eldien said Tuesday, Jan. 18.
