Former St. Augusta Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Abuse of Juvenile in His Care

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- A former St. Augusta man who was charged twice with sexually abusing a juvenile girl has pleaded guilty.

Plea Agreement Reached Where Defendant Agreed to Admit Guilt

Forty-nine-year-old Terry Morris has pleaded guilty in Stearns County District Court to one count of 2nd-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a significant relationship with the victim and multiple acts over time.

As part of the plea agreement, Morris will be ordered to spend up to nine years in prison at his sentencing hearing in January.

Previous Charges Were Dismissed

Morris was previously charged with abusing the same victim in 2023, but charges were eventually dropped in that case.

According to the criminal complaint, the Stearns County Sheriff's Office responded to a home along Highway 15 in St. Augusta in August 2025. The victim told authorities that Morris had sexually assaulted her a few days prior.

Victim statements to Authorities

The girl was forensically interviewed at the Child Advocacy Center, where she identified Morris and explained that he is in a position of authority with a significant relationship to the victim. The victim said the sexual assault happened while she and her siblings were staying overnight at Morris' home without their parents or any other adults present. Court records show that a forensic examination of the child's underwear found sperm cell fractions on them.