Minn. treatment center staff cited after possible assault of girl

The state's Department of Human Services has cited staff at a treatment center for girls in western Minnesota after a girl left the facility and was later found in Iowa, possibly the victim of a sexual assault.

The Heartland Girls Ranch of Benson was founded in 1992 and serves girls recommended for placement by county child protection workers, age 12 to 21. It has become a home in recent years for girls who are victims of sex trafficking. It has 32 beds and serves around 60 to 70 girls a year, according to its website.

The report says a girl at the ranch was allowed two home visits in September, the first of which ended early when her family reported she'd used a mobile phone to contact an adult not on her approved contact list.

She was allowed a second home visit a few days later, but Heartland staff did not notify a case manager in Wright County, which had custody of the girl as of May, a state investigation found. The girl took a family member's cellphone, ducked outside and disappeared. The state report on the incident says she left with another person, identified only as a "community person."

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The girl was found later in Iowa, the report said, and she was sexually assaulted and bruised from an apparent choking incident. The "community person" was found by police with the girl. An investigation of what happened to the girl is ongoing, according to the state report.

Wright County officials said they weren't told about the initial home visit or violation, and wouldn't have allowed the second home visit if they'd known about illicit contact with an outside party.

The report says the staff member at Heartland was responsible for serious maltreatment of the girl and is barred from providing direct contact services at Heartland. The report has also been forwarded to the state Department of Corrections for review of possible licensing violations by Heartland.

Heartland Ranch says it is working on a response to the report and questions of whether the facility has changed procedures.