Church Youth Worker Acquitted of Sex Assaults on Girl from Fridley

A jury has acquitted a man of six counts of criminal sexual conducts for alleged sexual assaulting a teenaged girl from Fridley in 2010, according to a statement from the Washington County Attorney's Office.

Last year prosecutors alleged Damian Blake Burkhalter of Blaine of assaulting the then-14-year-old girl at the Glen Cary Lutheran Church in Ham Lake where he served as youth director, on church trips, at his home and in a car.

The girl later moved from Fridley, according to ABC Newspapers, which also said that the Anoka County Attorney's Office asked Washington County prosecutors to take the case because of "a real or perceived conflict of interest."

Here is the Washington County Attorney's statement:

The Washington County Attorney’s office today announced that an Anoka County jury acquitted Damian Blake Burkhalter, 47, of Blaine of 6 counts of criminal sexual conduct, 3 counts of 1st degree criminal sexual conduct and 3 counts of 2nd degree criminal sexual conduct. The case was handled by the Washington County Attorney’s office acting as Special Assistant Anoka County Attorney on a conflict of interest basis. The trial took 9 days. 1st Assistant County Attorney Steve Povolny stated, “While we of course are disappointed with the verdict, we do accept the jury’s decision.”