Ex-Catholic Priest Ordered To Undergo Sex Offender Assessment

Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom announced that Jacob Andrew Bertrand, 35, who was an ordained Catholic priest in the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego, California, was sentenced today by Judge Karen Asphaug pursuant to a previously negotiated plea agreement.

On Jan. 22, 2018, Bertrand pled guilty to one count of criminal sexual conduct that occurred in 2010 in Dakota County.

Bertrand received a stay of adjudication of sentence and was placed on probation for 10 years and ordered to pay a fine of $1,000 fine by Judge Karen Asphaug. He was also ordered to undergo a sex offender assessment and follow through with any recommended therapy or counseling.

The sexual misconduct occurred while Bertrand said Mass for a woman in the basement of her parent's home in Mendota Heights, police said. Read more on the case.

As part of the plea agreement, a second count of criminal sexual conduct was dismissed.

If Bertrand violates the conditions of his probation, under the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines he would be subject to a presumptive prison sentence of 48 months.

"The plea agreement in this case was entered into after considerable discussions with the victim and upon receiving her consent," Backstrom said in a statement. "We are please that Mr. Bertrand has been held accountable for his actions."

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