Jury Convicts St. Cloud Man of Raping Woman

ST. CLOUD -- A St. Cloud man has been found guilty of raping and assaulting a woman he let stay with him last November.

A Stearns County jury found 32-year-old Randy Bennett guilty of 1st-degree criminal sexual conduct, domestic assault by strangulation and making terroristic threats.  Bennett was found not guilty on a second count of 1st-degree criminal sexual conduct.

Bennett and the woman were former high school classmates and reconnected on Facebook when she needed a place to stay.

According to the criminal complaint, the two drank alcohol together and Bennett sexually assaulted the woman despite her crying and telling him "no". The woman tried to scream, but Bennett choked her and threw her in a cold tub of water. The woman said Bennett also told her to shut up or he'd throw her in the Mississippi River.

The woman eventually left and drove to her father's house in Elk River for help.

Bennett told investigators the sex was consensual.

He'll be sentenced December 3rd.