Bemidji man sentenced to 25 years for sex crime

BEMIDJI -- A Bemidji man received a 25 year prison sentence for sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl in 2013.

Jeremy Bruce Cournoyer, 34, was sentenced Monday in Beltrami County District Court for felony first-degree criminal sexual conduct to 300 months in the Minnesota Correctional Facility in St. Cloud with 99 years conditional release after confinement. Cournoyer faced a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $40,000 fine.

Cournoyer plead not guilty to the charge Oct. 25, 2013 and was found guilty by the court June 17. Cournoyer waived his right to a jury trial in June and opted to have Beltrami County Judge John Melbye hear his case in a court trial.

Cournoyer's victim, now 12, testified against him in court. In 2004, Cournoyer was convicted of serious felony second-degree criminal sexual conduct for inappropriately touching an 11-year-old girl. That girl, now a woman, also testified during Cournoyer's trial in June.

Cournoyer maintained his not guilty plea. Cournoyer's most recent crime occurred the day after he bailed out of jail on a failure to register as a predatory offender charge.

Cournoyer must pay a $50 fine and was ordered to pay $1,252 in restitution. He has been credited with 531 days time served.