Bemidji man faces charges after teen reports abuse and strangulation

A Bemidji man is facing felony charges after a 17-year-old girl told police he choked her, threatened her with a truck and bruised her as she tried to leave what investigators described as an abusive relationship. Prosecutors charged John Loch, 21, with felony third-degree criminal sexual conduct, felony domestic assault by strangulation and misdemeanor domestic assault.

The case began as a property retrieval call at an apartment building in Bemidji. A police officer was asked to stand by on Saturday, June 13, while the teen gathered her belongings, and the officer saw visible bruising when she arrived. Investigators then learned that Loch was the girl’s boyfriend and that the two had been living together, a fact that can matter in domestic-assault and sexual-conduct cases because Minnesota law looks at household or significant-relationship status. Loch was arrested Sunday, June 14.

According to the complaint, the teen described an earlier confrontation in which Loch nearly hit her with his truck after an argument, then backed up and accelerated toward her, forcing her to jump between two parked vehicles for cover. She also told police that Loch choked her so severely she could not breathe or speak. Those allegations are central to the felony strangulation charge, which Minnesota defines as intentionally impeding normal breathing or circulation by pressure on the throat or neck or by blocking the nose or mouth. The third-degree criminal sexual conduct charge can apply when the complainant is at least 16 but under 18 and the actor has a significant relationship to the complainant, and consent is not a defense in that circumstance.

The case is now moving through the criminal-justice process, where prosecutors will have to prove the charges in court. Under Beltrami County’s victim-services process, victims can get updates on their case, help with intimidation or coercion, courtroom preparation and referrals for counseling or other community resources. The county attorney’s office lists its Victim/Witness Office at 218-441-2241.

Bemidji also has several local options for people trying to leave abuse or help a teen who is in danger. Support Within Reach’s Bemidji office, at 1510 Bemidji Ave. N., Suite 13, can be reached at 218-444-9524 or 1-800-708-2727 and offers a 24/7 crisis line, legal advocacy, help with orders for protection and sexual-assault services. Northwoods Battered Women’s Shelter, based at P.O. Box 563 in Bemidji, takes crisis calls 24/7 at 218-444-1395 or 800-588-6229. Evergreen Youth & Family Services runs a free shelter for youth ages 9-17 at 622 Mississippi Ave. in Bemidji and answers its crisis hotline at 218-751-4332. North Homes Children and Family Services is at 4225 Technology Dr. NW and can be reached at 218-751-0282.