23 October 2023
DULUTH An arrest warrant has been issued for a Grand Lake Township man as two additional women have come forward to report that they were sexually abused as children.
Clint Franklin Massie, 48, was first arrested and charged in February with abusing two minors some 15 years ago. But the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office indicated at the time that there were likely additional victims who had not been interviewed.
Two complaints filed late last week in State District Court outline new allegations of rape and inappropriate touching, some of which dates back as far as 1996. Another complaint filed over the summer also accuses Massie of groping an adult woman during a prospective business meeting in the late 1990s.
At least six people have now reported sexual misconduct by Massie, though one who came forward to police in 2017 declined to participate in a prosecution. All were previously known to him and were members at the same church, according to court filings.
Massie, when interviewed in February, allegedly described himself as a “sick person” and said he had been suppressing memories of his abusive behavior for years.
According to court documents:
After Massie’s initial arrest, investigators continued to contact others who they believed may have been assaulted by him over the years.
One woman agreed to speak in August, disclosing that she was assaulted by Massie when she was approximately 7 years old. She recalled the defendant saying he was going to teach her “how to touch (her)self” before pinning her down and assaulting her as she begged him to stop.
The woman told investigators she had been around Massie her whole life at the church they both attended and that she once reported it to a pastor who told her she “needed to do what (she) needed to do.” She indicated she told another pastor and “his recommendation was to forgive and forget.”
Another alleged victim who more recently spoke with investigators said she was abused by Massie for “many years” of her life, recalling specific incidents as far back as age 9 or 10.
“Victim 5 explained that when she was a child, defendant would touch her often, running his hand up the front of her shirt,” the complaint says, using a numbering system to distinguish the complainants. “Victim 5 explained that defendant would also kiss her on the neck and jaw.”
The woman told investigators that complicated interpersonal dynamics discouraged her from reporting earlier. She said she also told a preacher, who advised her to turn Massie in, but she described it as a “heart-wrenching” decision and said there was a rule within their church to “forgive and forget.”
The investigation first started in late January with two other alleged victims coming forward.
One told investigators of four incidents that occurred when she was approximately 10-11 years old. She recalled Massie kissing her on the mouth and neck, and touching her breasts under her clothing.
The other stated that she was 7 or 8 when Massie assaulted her. She said the defendant began rubbing her thighs before moving to her genital area and chest. She said a meeting was later conducted at her church, which Massie also attended, and he was instructed by a preacher to ask for forgiveness.
When interviewed by police, Massie allegedly described himself as a “lustful man” and a “touchy feely guy” but initially denied many of the allegations. However, he went on to state: “I don’t want to make you guys feel like I’m innocent, because I’m not. I know I have touched kids inappropriately. I know that that happened.”
He reportedly added in a written message from the St. Louis County Jail: “Just want to clarify some things and make sure you understand that I don’t want to deny anything. I am a sick person to do one of those things. I remember some but not all. I want to be clear I’m not denying it just that I don’t remember it. And probably did those things. It’s hard to talk about and have suppressed for years.”
Massie, formerly of Lakewood Township, had been on the radar of law enforcement previously, as he was reported to have sexually abused a 5- or 6-year-old child on at least two occasions, including once at their church. Prosecutors said that victim ultimately decided against pursuing a case against Massie, but evidence of the alleged crimes was offered to prove his “intent, motive, modus operandi and absence of mistake.”
Massie posted a $300,000 bond Feb. 14 and was released from custody pending trial.
But another complaint was filed in early July after a woman told investigators she saw news coverage and decided to disclose how she was groped by Massie nearly 25 years ago. The woman told investigators Massie aggressively pushed her up against a car, put his arms around her and “just jammed his tongue down (her) throat.”
She said she rebuffed his efforts but he continued to call her and send gifts before a second business meeting at a coffee shop, at which point he reached up her skirt and grabbed at her underwear. The woman told investigators she didn’t realize at the time that was sufficient to be a crime.
A warrant was issued after Massie failed to show for an initial appearance in that case, but it was recalled as he appeared in court several weeks later.
With the new charges authorized Wednesday, St. Louis County prosecutor Jon Holets requested another warrant “given the severity of the offense, the numerous and repeated allegations of sexual assaults, the presumptive sentence upon conviction, for the safety of the victim and out of abundant safety concerns for the public.”
Massie was not yet in custody as of Monday night.
In total, he is charged with eight counts of criminal sexual conduct: one in the first degree, six in the second degree and one in the fifth degree.
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