Psychologist at Minnesota sex offender program charged with sexually assaulting two clients
A psychologist who worked for more than six years at a state-operated treatment center for sex offenders in northern Minnesota has been charged with sexually assaulting two men while they were in custody at the facility.
The psychologist, Michelle D. Brownfield, 38, of Duluth, was charged with two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct involving the men, who were undergoing treatment for sexual offenses. A warrant covering Minnesota and its border states has been issued for her arrest.
The assaults occurred between 2016 and early 2018 on the campus of the state’s secure treatment facility in Moose Lake, including in rooms where clients undergo psychological assessments and polygraph tests, according to a criminal complaint filed Wednesday in Carlton County District Court.
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Background checks are actually quite a misnomer. They are ‘negative ground’ checks. A ‘background’ consist of more than failures in life. My failure is a miniscule part of my background. My background was good enough to get me numerous responsible positions in the military and a top secret security clearance. A background cannot predict a future.
This fits the narrative of those in positions of trust fit the stats of perps who offend and not those on the registry.
Given she crossed the patient/client line, her license could be revoked which could go national with any professional entities and limit any possible other jobs similar to this when her license is known to be revoked.
I guess if you wanna be around the clowns, you join the circus. Right?
So, I’m pretty sure that both men will get more time for engaging in sex with a staff member. I doubt the woman will get much more than expelled from working inside that treatment center/prison. It doesn’t excuse her behavior, but do you really believe that both men didn’t WANT to have sex with this woman? Let’s remember that this most likely isn’t the entire story, but hey, it does make for a good headline! These internment camps that are disguised as treatment programs have a major problem with their staffing outsourced from the private industry – you cannot treat inmates the same as you would a client on the outside. Prison staff need to be hired to do a specific job and promoted from within when they do it well, or expelled. Bringing in ‘green horns’ that don’t understand the culture inside a jail end up doing stupid things, just like this woman did. Privitization of prisons should never have been allowed to happen!
Umm, the victims are going to be punished? Can’t be.
I don’t know. Her defense might be that she was assaulted by them, and that they threatened her life to provide favorable reports as well as sex. They’re registrants in civil commitment after all – what more proof do you need?
/sarc
Dustin
You are so correct. When I was locked up, I intervene in a guy who was getting an ass beating for no apparent reason. They sent the offenders to their cells, the victim to the infermary and me to lock up. The victim was knocked out cold so he couldn’t stand up for me. The other three dudes all lied and said I started it.
I got 90 days gain time taken away for trying to help someone. The old saying “No good deed goes unpunished”. I even offered to take a polygraph but of course their minds were set on me getting more time. (We all know why, the charges I was in for)
Sadly, after that I did not learn my lesson because I have always been fixer. Saving baby racoons from traffic, Picking up trash in the road in my neighborhood, moving a basket from around someone’s car in a parking lot. Yeah I have MAJOR OCD.
I happen to know something about this individual as my son lives in MSOP. She is from Florida. This is not a private prison, it is a state run treatment facility, which looks like and is run like a prison. Also these men are not inmates. They have already been to prison and served their time. If you think these men wanted to have sex with the psychologist, you’re wrong. These men are in a very vulnerable position, as the psychologist has control as to weather a person can move towards release. These clients are in a damned if you do, and damned if you don’t position. This is not treatment! This woman stated that she felt like a kid in a candy store! I highly doubt these men will get extra time, however she is being charged with 2 third degree sexual assault crimes. Next time you post something, do your research. Thank-you
Interesting is that she’s dangerous enough to issue a warrant to all LE in Minnesota and neighboring states, yet no one thought to include her picture.
“An agency spokesman added that DHS’ licensing division conducts background studies on all new employees who provide direct services, and supervisors in state-operated facilities are required to verify credentials of all staff.” Well, if society would believe the many statistical studies done over the last few decades, they would know that 95+% of new sex crimes are NOT committed by persons previously convicted of a sex crime nor with a previous felony.
People love to fall back on the “bAcKgRoUnD cHeCks” excuse. As if people are born with criminal records. When is someone going to say this? The next time someone says “We do extensive background checks” just stop them and ask them if they’ve ever heard the saying “There’s a first for everything”
Maestro
Background checks only work IF you have ever been caught. Before I was arrested I worked in law enforcement. Speaking of that, Lie detector test are crap as well.
The first time I took one I failed and they said I lied on the question about drug use. The only question they asked me drug related was cocaine. I had only ever seen cocaine in photos during the police academy. How was I a druggie?
The second department I applied at, I purposely lied on every question(At that point I was frustrated) and passed the test with flying colors. Go figure, it was a department I didn’t even want to work at. So I told the truth and failed but later lied and passed? Just glad I was no longer workin as a L.E.O when I got arrested. That would have been all over the news.
@ CherokeeJack:
There’s no such thing as a “lie detector test.” A polygraph is just an interrogation – nothing more, nothing less. “Results” are nothing but the opinion of the administrator and predetermined more often than not.
The point is to call out the idiocy of telling news media they do background checks as if that’s supposed to be something no other hiring company does. Everyone does background checks. It’s not a new fad. It’s also not guaranteed that a person with a clean background won’t commit a crime some day.