MINNESOTA
St. Cloud Times
David Unze, dunze@stcloudtimes.com May 22, 2015
HASTINGS – Fran Hoefgen took the witness stand Friday and repeatedly denied that he sexually abused an altar boy when he was a priest at a Hastings church.
Hoefgen also said during his testimony that he had no recollection of the altar boy who is accusing him of abuse more than 20 years after it happened.
“I have waited for over 18 months for this day,” Hoefgen said during his brief testimony Friday.
The prosecution and defense rested their cases Friday. Closing arguments are scheduled for Tuesday after which jurors will begin their deliberations.
Hoefgen, 64, is charged with two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in Dakota County. He is accused of sexually abusing the altar boy from 1989-92 when he was priest at St. Boniface Church.
Hoefgen was calm and looked at the jury as he answered questions.
“Absolutely not” was the response he gave when asked if he sexually assaulted the altar boy, who is now 36 and testified earlier in the trial.
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