Convicted sex offender accused of assaulting woman in his St. Paul apartment
A 60-year-old St. Paul, Minnesota, man has been charged with second-degree criminal sexual conduct and first-degree assault after a woman was found unresponsive in his apartment, according to court records filed on Friday.
Charges say that a Ramsey County probation officer was conducting a random check on Anthony Dewalt at his apartment on the 500 block of Stryker Avenue during the afternoon of Aug. 5. Dewalt was on intensive supervised release for a prior first-degree criminal sexual assault conviction at that time.
The officer during the check allegedly noticed blood on Dewalt's chest. Court documents say it appeared there was another person in the home when the officer entered.
According to charges, the probation officer told Dewalt to have the other person come out. Dewalt said his friend was in the bathtub and wasn't able to come out. The officer allegedly looked in Dewalt's bedroom and saw a knife with a red, blood-like substance on it.
The officer had Dewalt open the bathroom door and saw an unresponsive woman who was naked in the bathtub, charges said. The faucet in the tub was turned on and was filling it with cold water. The officer then called police.
As law enforcement entered the apartment, Dewalt allegedly yelled, "I'm ready for you" and raised his hands as if he was prepared to fight, charges say. He was "secured" by police shortly after, and officers then found the woman.
Police started CPR on the woman and administered Narcan before she was taken to the hospital. The officer administering CPR noted that her body contained marks of trauma, according to court documents.
Medical staff at the hospital the woman may have been sexually assaulted due to the injuries on her body, and ordered a sexual assault examination. Charges say the results of the examination showed she had bruising throughout her body, a swollen lower lip, a cut on her chest "consistent with bite marks" and black hair consistent with Dewalt's hair.
The woman, when speaking with police, said she didn't know the extent of her injuries and had no memory of the assault or events leading up to it, charges say.
Dewalt was arrested at the scene after the parole officer obtained a warrant based on multiple probation violations.
When speaking with investigators, Dewalt said the woman was a friend who helped him clean and cook, and added they didn't have sexual involvement, according to charges. He said that she went to use the bathroom at some point, and that he checked on her "after a period of time."
Dewalt told police he found her unresponsive and groggy in the bathtub, charges say. He said he poured water on her to revive her, and that the probation officer showed up after that.
Court documents say that Dewalt claimed the blood and scratches on his chest were from when he was lying with the woman and trying to revive her.
Dewalt was convicted in 2007 of first-degree criminal sexual conduct of a child under the age of 13. A judge at that time sentenced him to life in prison. The sentence was overturned in 2008 by the Minnesota Court of Appeals, which ruled the lower court "lacked authority to impose an enhanced life sentence" without convening a grand jury, according to court documents.
Dewalt was resentenced in 2009 to 12 years in prison.
Sexual Assault Resources
- (SOS – Ramsey County)
- Sexual Violence Center (SVC – Hennepin County)
- Aurora Center (U of MN)
- 360 Communities (Dakota County)
- Hope Center (Rice County)
- Canvas Health (Washington County)
- Alexandra House (Anoka County)
General Sites for information related to sexual assault and resources throughout Minnesota:
General Sexual Assault Websites: