ST. CLOUD – A 19-year-old St. Cloud man is accused of raping a 15-year-old at knifepoint inside a St. Cloud high school, according to a criminal complaint filed in Stearns County District Court.
Robert Shannon Epps Jr. was charged Wednesday with one felony count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.
According to the complaint, a girl told investigators Epps followed her into a bathroom during a basketball game at Apollo High School in December 2019.
The girl said Epps, who was 18 at the time, pushed her into a stall and placed his hand on her throat.
Epps then pulled out a pocketknife and held it "up to her stomach and threatened to cut her if she did not have sex with him," the complaint states.
The girl said Epps threw her on the floor and raped her.
According to the complaint, the girl did not immediately report the assault; the investigation started in February 2020 and investigators interviewed Epps in May 2020.
At Epps' first hearing Wednesday, a judge ruled he could be released on an unconditional bond of $15,000 or with conditions he have no contact with minors and not possess any sexually explicit material.
Epps' next court hearing is scheduled for April 13.
Jenny Berg • 612-673-7299
