Former Hubbard Co. Employee Facing Felony Charge in ND for Sexual Contact with Child Victim

A former Hubbard County IT director is facing one felony charge in Cass County, North Dakota.

Robb Warne of Park Rapids is facing one count of gross sexual imposition for engaging in sexual contact with a victim under the age of 15. Court documents allege Warne willfully engaged in these activities between March 2004 and March 2006 in Fargo.

According to the charging documents, the victim said she was about 12-13 years old when Warne engaged in unwanted contact with her. She alleged Warne first touched her while she was sleeping. Areas the victim says Warne touched included her back, waistline, stomach, and buttocks.

After indicated that she was awake, Warne left the room and later asked her not to tell anyone what happened.

Interviews were conducted with Warne and other family members of the victim. During his interview, Warne referred to the touching, which started with a back scratch and led to inappropriate touching, as “the incident.” Although Warne did corroborate some aspects of the victim’s claims, he did not confirm or deny other allegations, such as kissing parts of her body. Per charging documents, Warne stated he apologized to the victim and hopes she is healing from the sexual assault.

Warne’s preliminary hearing is set for Jan. 16. His last day working for Hubbard County was recently on Jan. 4.

A Class A gross sexual imposition felony in North Dakota carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.