On July 20, 2025, at approximately 9:49am, law enforcement from the Moorhead Police Department responded to a report of sexual assault. C. Z. (DOB: xx/xx/99), here in after Victim, reported that Ronald Matthew Balzer [DOB REDACTED], had sexually abused her over fifty times from 2008 to 2016 at a residence in Moorhead, Minnesota. Victim [NAME REDACTED] would stay at the Defendant's home, he would give her drinks that contained alcohol and that would make her intoxicated. The Defendant would then touch her in her vaginal area.
Detective Schultz was assigned to investigate the sexual abuse allegations. On August 7, 2025, Det. Schultz met with the Victim at the law enforcement center and conducted an interview. During that interview the victim disclosed that the sexual abuse occurred during the entire time the Defendant lived at the residence in Moorhead. The Defendant was related to the Victim [NAME REDACTED]. The Victim [NAME REDACTED] from 2008-2016. The Victim [NAME REDACTED] stated that there was a bar in the basement.
The Defendant would mix drinks in the bar and would keep giving her different drinks to try. The Defendant would sit in the couch "really close" and watch YouTube videos. The Victim then described the Defendant touching her over the clothes. The Victim recalled the Defendant taking her to the bedroom on at least one occasion. The Victim recalled the Defendant touching her on the legs, thighs and neck; however, when he would bring her to the bedroom he would touch her on her vaginal area. The Victim [NAME REDACTED] at times she would go to bed with her clothes on and wake up with different clothes on and be in a different spot.
The Victim stated that when the Defendant touched her vaginal area, she was on the bed, and her clothes would be off, or the contact would be when she was changing clothes. The Defendant would bring her different clothes to change into. The Victim described the Defendant digitally penetrating her vagina and recalled feeling nervous and scared. The Victim believed something happened every time she would stay the night at the Defendant's home and she believed digital penetration happened more than one time.
The Victim further recalled the Defendant taking pictures of the Victim with his phone and he would try to hide it. The Victim [NAME REDACTED] would be on or off and she would be in the room or sleeping when the Defendant would take these pictures. Det. Shultz pulled the Moorhead Public Service records for the Moorhead address and verified the Defendant lived at that address from 6/27/2008 to 5/4/2018. Det. Shultz met with the Defendant on October 2, 2025. The Defendant described his mental health struggles and recalled the Victim [NAME REDACTED] did not recall any of the allegations.
