NEW ULM — Three 3rd-degree felony criminal sex charges filed against a former Sleepy Eye pastor accused of having an inappropriate sexual relationship with a teenage girl in 2019 and 2020, were dismissed earlier this spring in Brown County District Court.

Former Trinity Lutheran Church pastor Nathan Van Alfred Luong, 38, of Rochester, was charged Dec. 9, 2022 with three counts of felony 3rd-degree criminal sexual conduct-significant relationship, victim 16-17; during a religious advice meeting; and ongoing meeting for spiritual advice.

After Luong was accused of having an inappropriate sexual relationship with a female church member in 2019 and 2020, Sleepy Eye Police conducted a seven-month investigation with cooperation from Trinity Lutheran Church and the Southeastern/Southwestern Minnesota ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America), according to court documents.

Sleepy Eye Police Investigator Shawn Bohnen learned of a May 3, 2022 child protection summary involving inappropriate interactions between Luong and the girl. A witness called Olmsted County Human services to report Luong confided to a second witness that he had relations with the girl who was 17 at the time, but she was an adult in 2022.

Luong was the girl’s pastor at the time of the sexual relationship. He later became a pastor in Dodge Center, according to another witness.

At a March 11 settlement conference, Luong’s attorney, Jessica Rugani of Minneapolis moved to dismiss the case for lack of probable cause.

Assistant Brown County Attorney Dan Kalk objected to the defense raising the issue at this late stage, but the Court overruled the objection.

“There is no dispute that (Luong) had a sexual relationship with (the teen girl), there is some evidence that the sexual relationship began when she was 17, but there is no evidence that (Luong) had a significant relationship (with the girl) when she was under age 18, and there is no evidence that she sought or received religious or spiritual advice, aid, or comfort from (Luong), therefore he is entitled to dismissal of the charges against him,” read a court memo.

The statute (law) defined significant relationship as a situation in which the actor is the complainant’s parent, stepparent, or guardian; related to the complainant by blood, marriage, or adoption; or an adult who jointly resides intermittently or regularly in the same dwelling as the complainant and who is not the complainant’s spouse.

The Journal called the Southwestern Minnesota ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America) office in Redwood Falls, asked about Nathan Van Alfred Luong’s pastoral status but did not get an answer Tuesday.