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Man sentenced after admitting to sexual assault, holding student captive in dorm

Keanu Labatte, 20, has been out on bail but is now in prison.

RAMSEY COUNTY, Minn. — A Granite Falls man was sentenced in Ramsey County District Court after accepting a deal this summer in which he pleaded guilty to second-degree criminal sexual conduct. 

A judge sentenced 20-year-old Keanu Labatte to 7.5 years in prison. Per Minnesota law, he will serve five years in prison and the remaining time on supervised release. He'll also be a registered sex offender for life.

According to court documents, Labatte admitted he physically and sexually assaulted his girlfriend, a St. Catherine University student, while keeping her in her dorm for four days until she escaped. The 2023 abuse included rape and waterboarding. 

Labette spent 16 days in jail and was released on an $80,000 bond.

In court Monday afternoon, Labatte apologized to his ex and expressed a desire to complete treatment.

"I admit I committed a terrible wrongdoing and that I am here to accept responsibility," he said. "I’d also like to offer an apology to my victim. I know nothing I say will fix or make up for what I’ve done."

Still, the judge denied a request to trade any prison time for probation.

The young woman he assaulted was seated several rows behind him, and a victim advocate read a statement on her behalf.

"He was controlling in ways that any little thing I did was put under a microscope," the advocate read. "If I didn’t respond the way he wanted, he would get aggravated."

The statement went on to say she was beaten, choked, raped and waterboarded, and that it all started because Labatte saw a "a guy's name pop up" [on her phone]. The woman also wrote that Labatte threatened to kill her parents.

Following the hearing, the woman told KARE 11 under anonymity she would have wanted Labatte to receive a longer sentence but was okay with the plea deal because she didn't want to go through a lengthy jury trial anyway.

She and her father said they're relieved the judge did not reduce the plea deal terms. The father also said he believed Labatte's courtroom apology was disingenuous.

"My child is not going to be a victim," he said. "She's a survivor."

That evening, the woman sent KARE the following written statement:

"Though the outcome of what happened today wasn't the strongest or the most expected, I am happy that it is over and that I can move forward and continue to live my life, as over this last year I have made so many accomplishments that I never thought I would. This whole process and series of events should have never happened but I am proud that I stayed strong and remained in a mindset of making sure justice for myself was given. I hope to continue to advocate for women who have also gone through similar things and continue to live my life and my truth as a strong and powerful woman."

According to state records, St. Catherine University had fewer than 10 reports of sexual assault last year. The numbers have gone down since 2019.

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