Duluth Man, 28, Pleads Guilty to Sexually Assaulting Four Girls, Faces 30 Years

Johnathon Allen Haag, 28, of the Brookston area, pleaded guilty March 27 in St. Louis County District Court to four counts of criminal sexual conduct involving four different minor girls, entering admissions before Judge Shawn B. Reed that prosecutors say resolve a pattern of abuse in rural St. Louis County stretching back to 2014.

Haag admitted to two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct. Under the terms of the plea agreement, prosecutors dismissed 10 additional counts and two separate cases in which Haag had been charged with violating an order for protection and making threats of violence against a family member of one victim. St. Louis County Attorney Kim Maki announced the plea and related court appearances.

The four cases span more than a decade and involve four separate victims, all of whom were minors at the time of the assaults. Criminal complaints filed in St. Louis County outline a pattern of abuse at residences in rural St. Louis County dating back to 2014.

The guilty plea removes the cases from trial and shifts the proceedings to sentencing, where Haag faces a 30-year prison term under the agreement. He will not be eligible for supervised release until he has served at least 20 years. Sentencing is scheduled for July 9 before Judge Reed, when the court will consider victim impact statements, any restitution, and a sentencing memorandum from the St. Louis County Attorney's Office. Haag remains in custody at the St. Louis County Jail.

First-degree criminal sexual conduct is among the most serious felony sex crimes under Minnesota law, carrying potential decades-long prison terms. Following any release, Haag will also be subject to sex offender registration requirements.

The investigation was conducted by the Fond du Lac Tribal Police Department and the FBI, with assistance from the United States Attorney's Office and the First Witness Child Advocacy Center.

Anyone who has experienced sexual abuse or needs to report abuse involving a child can contact the First Witness Child Advocacy Center in Duluth, which provides forensic interviews, advocacy, and referral services for child victims. Court records in this case, including scheduling entries and filings, are publicly accessible through the St. Louis County District Court register of actions. Updates from the St. Louis County Attorney's Office are posted to the county's official news feed.