Man Sentenced for Sexually Assaulting 13-Year-Old Girl in Baxter

Michael Linehan (Credit: Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office)

A 22-year-old man who now lives in Fargo has been sentenced after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in Baxter in 2019.

Michael James Vance Linehan was 17 when he assaulted the girl. He was a friend of the victim’s brother and was living with the girl’s family at the time.

Linehan pleaded guilty in Crow Wing County Court to third-degree criminal sexual conduct and on Wednesday was sentenced to a stay of adjudication, including 90 days in jail and 10 years supervised released. If Linehan proves he is actively enrolled in a sex offender program, the 90 days in jail can be vacated.

A stay of adjudication is a type of sentence that allows a person to avoid a criminal conviction on their record.