BRAINERD, Minn. – A Curwensville pastor is facing sexual assault charges that stem from alleged incidents from while he served as a youth pastor in the state of Minnesota in the late 1980’s.
Todd T. Hogue, 59, is charged with criminal sexual conduct-force or coercion and criminal sexual conduct-position of authority, both felonies of the third degree.
Hogue was charged by the Brainerd Police Department Jan. 27 through the County of Crow Wing Ninth Judicial District in the state of Minnesota.
Currently, Hogue serves as the pastor of the Community Baptist Church, Curwensville, and according to the church’s Web site, he’s led its congregation there since 2003.
According to the statement of probable cause, the investigation began in December of 2018 when police were contacted by a female victim who grew up in the Brainerd area.
The victim said in 1987-88, she was in her senior year of high school at the First Baptist Church/School in Crow Wing County. She said Hogue was a youth pastor then, and she was 17 to 18 years old.
She said Hogue first started touching and groping her in a sexual manner. She said she reported the assaults to the church, but church leadership didn’t believe her.
The victim told police that once Hogue found out that no one believed her, he continued to assault her further, and this included sexual intercourse.
The victim told police that these incidents were neither reported to law enforcement nor to a social services agency in Crow Wing County.
During one specific incident in the sound room of the school’s auditorium, she said Hogue “cornered” her in the closet and allegedly raped her.
This assault took place during the fall of her senior year and prior to her 18th birthday, according to the statement of probable cause.
The victim said she was also a statistician for the basketball team, and Hogue was the coach. She said several times, Hogue sexually assaulted her at events, but this was after she was 18 years old.
As part of the investigation, police conducted numerous interviews of people who attended and worked at the church/school during the time in question.
Multiple witnesses reportedly recalled Hogue frequently engaging in “flirtatious, inappropriate behavior” with some of the female students, and said he was known to snap female students’ bra straps, etc.
More than one witness also confirmed for police that there was a meeting held by the Board of Deacons regarding allegations the victim made that Hogue had sexually assaulted her.
It was also noted that another former student alleged Hogue sexually abused her by inappropriately touching her over her clothing, but stated that he didn’t rape her.
Police spoke with Hogue by telephone on a number of occasions, and he reportedly admitted that he worked at First Baptist Church during the time in question and that he remembered the victim.
Hogue neither admitted to nor denied the allegations, police said, but did recall having to appear before the Deacon Board concerning an allegation that he “hugged” the victim.
Hogue is currently scheduled to appear at 8:30 a.m. Feb. 26 in district court in Crow Wing County.
