Charges: Girl, 15, sexually assaulted by her manager at Trail of Terror attraction

A onetime supervisor for a popular Halloween attraction in Shakopee sexually assaulted a 15-year-old co-worker in the first of many encounters spanning months, according to charges. Bryan E. Ellinger, now 31, of Shakopee, was charged Wednesday with first- and third-degree criminal sexual conduct in connection with the assaults, which began in the fall of 2013 and ended early the next year. Ellinger, who has two other sex-related criminal cases on his record, was charged by warrant and has yet to be arrested. His girlfriend said that he would not be answering questions about the allegations. County Attorney Ron Hocevar said he’s confident that “we will have him [in custody] pretty quick.” The criminal complaint raised the possibility that Ellinger assaulted other girls who worked at the Trail of Terror. Hocevar said he’s hoping that if there are other victims and “they see the ice has been broken, they’ll come forward.” Ellinger has at least two other sexual assault convictions in Minnesota, according to court records. He was charged in Scott County as a juvenile in 2007 and found guilty of third-degree sexual assault for having sex with someone more than two years younger than him and with indecent exposure. In…
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