Man Sentenced in Vulnerable Adult Sex Trafficking Case

ST. CLOUD -- A Stearns County judge has sentenced a Sauk Rapids man to four years in prison for engaging in sex trafficking with a vulnerable adult. Thirty-two-year-old John Rasmussen pleaded guilty to the charge back in April.

A charging complaint filed in Stearns County shows Rasmussen had been engaging in forceful sex with the woman who is considered a vulnerable adult, exchanged marijuana for oral sex and tried selling her body for money.

The woman contacted police last April after Rasmussen told her it was "time to get to work." Records show Rasmussen wanted a picture of the victim to put on Craigslist and asked her to go on other social media to see if any men wanted to buy her company for the night.

Police found a safe place for the woman to stay and set up a phone call between her and Rasmussen. Officers say he told her that if she wanted to make some money, she had to "do it all" and that he would take the first $150 but would split everything after that.

Rasmussen will get credit for nearly a year he's already served in a county jail.