New Ulm man sentenced to prison for raping minor
A New Ulm man has been sentenced to prison for raping a minor.
Francis Christopher McWilliams, 37, was convicted in Blue Earth County Court of 1st-degree criminal sexual conduct with a victim under the age of 16.
On Monday, Judge Krista J. Jass imposed a 12-year prison sentence at the St. Cloud Correctional Facility and gave McWilliams credit for the 293 days he had already served in jail.
McWilliams pled guilty to the charge in an August plea deal and the remaining charges against him were dropped.
In January, McWilliams was charged after the victim disclosed that he had sexually assaulted her several times a month since November 2022. Court documents said McWilliams also sent the girl hundreds of texts detailing graphic sexual acts he wanted the victim to perform. McWilliams told police he sent the text messages to provide the girl with an outlet and admitted to raping her at a Mankato apartment.
Minnesota inmates generally serve about two-thirds of their sentence, with the final third served on parole. McWilliams is expected to be eligible for parole in 2031.
