BEMIDJI - A Cass Lake man has been charged with second-degree criminal sexual conduct for allegedly molesting a 5-year-old girl in February.
Ira Ray Keezer, 37, was arrested Wednesday at a campground near Cass Lake. Keezer is accused of sexually assaulting the girl while she was visiting family in Bemidji.
The girl informed her father, who she lives with in St. Cloud, in July that Keezer had touched her inappropriately in February, according to a criminal complaint.
The girl’s father alerted authorities in St. Cloud and Bemidji. The child was interviewed at the Family Advocacy Center, where she informed a nurse practitioner that she had been molested by Keezer when she was left alone with him, according to court documents.
Keezer denied touching the girl inappropriately. He was being held in the Beltrami County Jail.
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Keezer’s criminal history includes felony check forgery, domestic assault, obstructing arrest, DUI and fifth-degree criminal sexual conduct, according to the complaint.
Second-degree criminal sexual conduct is a felony offense with a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison and a $35,000 fine. Keezer is scheduled to appear in court Monday.
