No New Trial In Owatonna Sex Assault Case

OWATONNA, Minn. (AP) — A judge has refused to grant a new trial for a former hotel manager convicted of sexually assaulting a teen employee earlier this year.

The Owatonna People's Press reported Thursday that Steele County District Court Judge Karen Duncan issued an order December 17th denying Matthew Swenson's attorneys' claims his September trial was marred by multiple mistakes.

They alleged Duncan should have redacted portions of a police interview with Swenson, excluded hotel surveillance video from evidence and allowed text messages from the victim to Swenson before the assault into evidence, among other mistakes.

Duncan said the defense failed to show the errors occurred and that the mistakes would have hurt Swenson's right to a fair trial.

Swenson is set to be sentenced on February 3rd.

The girl told officers that Swenson, who was the guest relations manager at the hotel where she worked, had led her to a hotel room, trapped her on a bed and forcibly had sex with her.