A man followed a woman into her bedroom and sexually assaulted her while two young children slept in another room.
Daniel Robert Aitkin, 41, faces a charge of 3rd-degree criminal sexual conduct for using coercion during the assault.
The charge was filed on June 10, 2026, in Ramsey County District Court. According to the complaint, Aitkin and the victim had two children together and had been living in the same house since their breakup in September 2025. On the night of the incident, Aitkin was reportedly intoxicated and became disruptive while the victim was preparing dinner.
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After dinner, the victim attempted to take the children to gymnastics, but Aitkin tried to prevent them from leaving. Once they returned home, Aitkin’s behavior escalated. The victim went to her room after putting the children to bed, but Aitkin followed her, began kissing her and ignored her pleas to stop. He then forcibly removed her pants and sexually assaulted her while she repeatedly told him to stop.
The victim described how Aitkin held her down and insulted her throughout the assault. Afterward, she managed to leave the room and went to the children’s room, where she laid awake and searched online for information on what to do after a sexual assault. The next morning, she took the children to school and went to St. John’s Hospital for a sexual assault examination.
Aitkin was not arrested immediately following the incident; the victim did not report the assault to law enforcement until January 22, 2026. He is currently not in custody. A court date has not yet been set.
If convicted, Aitkin faces a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in prison for the charge of 3rd-degree criminal sexual conduct.
About This Charge
Minnesota’s criminal sexual conduct statutes are organized by degree under § 609.342 (first), § 609.343 (second), § 609.344 (third) and § 609.345 (fourth). First-degree convictions carry up to 30 years in prison; the lower degrees carry penalties up to 25, 15 and 10 years respectively. Cases involving minors trigger additional mandatory-minimum provisions and predatory-offender registration under § 243.166.
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Jurisdictional Context
Ramsey County encompasses Saint Paul and is served by the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office. Felony cases are heard in the Second Judicial District at the Ramsey County Courthouse in downtown Saint Paul; the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office operates the Ramsey County Correctional Facility in Maplewood.
