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Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - Today was sentencing day for a Rochester man who was recently convicted of raping a young child.

34-year-old Quentin Townsell entered into a plea agreement earlier this month and admitted to a first-degree criminal sexual conduct charge using an Alford plea. That means he doesn't admit he's guilty but acknowledges there is enough evidence to convict him of the crime. The plea deal called for a prison sentence of 16 1/2 years, which the judge followed at this morning's sentencing hearing.

photo courtesy Kraus-Anderson
photo courtesy Kraus-Anderson
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The criminal complaint against Townsell alleged he sexually assaulted three young sisters, who ranged in age from 8 to 11 years old. the court document states that Rochester police opened an investigation into Townsell three years ago when the mother of the children reported that the two older girls had talked to her about conduct that "sounded like sexual penetration."

Rawf8
Rawf8
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One of the girls, who was 10 years old at the time, told police that Townsell had been sexually abusing her for about two years. The oldest girl also told investigators about repeated sexual and physical assaults, including one incident during which Townsell choked her to the point she had trouble breathing and then slammed her head into a doorknob. The 8-year-old sister also spoke of repeated sexual assaults that occurred as often as several times a week.

Townsell, who will be eligible for conditional release after spending 10 years behind bars, was also given credit for the 138 days he has already spent in jail.

HAVE YOU SEEN ME? 25 Kids Missing From Minnesota

As of March 16, 2023, there are 25 children missing from across Minnesota that have still not been found, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. If you have seen any of them, or have any information on their whereabouts, please don’t hesitate to call 911 or you can call the National Center at 1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST).