Minnesota Rep. teams up with woman who says she was targeted to strengthen grooming laws | WCCO Investigates
This week, WCCO has investigated the laws and policies surrounding grooming. We heard from a young woman who is sharing her story in hopes of creating change and keeping kids safe.
Hannah LoPresto told police she was groomed and sexually assaulted by her high school band director. Minnesota Republican Rep. Peggy Bennett says she had a similar experience when she was younger. WCCO was there when they met for the first time.
"That's Kelchi, Mingo and Koko. So they're my big babies," Bennett said talking about her cats.
"I do have a cat as well. He is a tuxedo cat, short hair," LoPresto said.
LoPresto and Bennett discovered they have a lot in common.
"Kind of funny, we're both percussionists. We both love band. That was my favorite as well," Bennett said.
They also say they share a similar experience decades apart.
"I was groomed by my band director from freshman year through senior year. He had a lot of access to have me alone a lot. And I guess slowly, over time, he would just try to normalize touching me or talking to me in a certain way. By the time I got to senior year, he had completely convinced me that if I ever wanted to get married in life, it had to be to him. And that like no one else would ever love me after what I'd done. It got to a point where on my very last day of high school he sexually assaulted me in the band lesson studio room in the school," LoPresto said.
"I'll share with you a little bit my story because, oh my goodness, I was hearing you talk, and it sounded a lot like my story as a teenager," Bennett said.
The co-chair of the House Education Policy Committee revealed what she says happened to her 50 years ago publicly for the first time.
"I was a 15-year-old sophomore, and my parents had just gotten a divorce. My band director, too, just very gradually, you know, had me stay after and help organize music and this and that, and kind of started with touching and all those things. Seemed like a friend, seemed like a good friend, a father figure kind of, but very gradually broke boundaries that should never have been broken. It's so gradual that you think it's OK, because we're young people. Our brains are not mature. We can't make those decisions," Bennett said. "Even consent at that point is so different, because you're dealing with juveniles who aren't capable of consenting and can be manipulated so easily. And I came close to being raped, but thank goodness he didn't, you know, push it. It's such a similar story, and I'm sorry that yours went on for so long. I'm sure you can think back and it's as real as it was now as it was then."
They share a vision for better protecting kids.
"This teacher still had a valid teaching license," LoPresto said.
LoPresto brought proposals for strengthening laws around mandated reporters, requiring curriculum on consent and sexual abuse prevention, expanding what the Department of Education can investigate, reducing the burden of proof for having a teaching license revoked, and making grooming a stand-alone offense.
"I appreciate you speaking up for all the voices that don't get heard," Bennett said.
The two are vowing to work together to craft a bill.
"If we can share our stories and it can do some good and help other children and teenagers to not have to have something like that happen, then it's all worth it," Bennett said.
We reached out to Brett Benson, the band director in LoPresto's situation. He denied any wrongdoing.
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: