A New Hope man allegedly sexually assaulted the victim in a bedroom while a child called 911 for help, according to a criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County.
Unuakpobuhro Avwunuma, 47, faces a charge of 3rd-degree criminal sexual conduct for using coercion to penetrate the victim.
According to the complaint, officers responded to an apartment in New Hope on July 25, 2026, after a nine-year-old child called 911 and reported that Avwunuma was hitting the victim. When officers arrived, the child told them her parents were in the bedroom. Officers found Avwunuma in the hallway wearing only underwear, and the victim emerged from the bedroom wrapped in a blanket.
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Court records state that the victim told officers Avwunuma followed her into the bedroom after she got out of the shower, pulled her onto the bed and removed his clothing. The victim said she repeatedly told him no as he tried to initiate sex acts. She screamed for the child to open the door so she could escape, but when the child did, Avwunuma pushed the child out and closed the door again.
The victim reported that Avwunuma held her hands above her head and leaned on her while she continued to say no. Despite her resistance, Avwunuma sexually assaulted her. The victim later participated in a the victim exam, and a buccal swab was collected from Avwunuma. DNA results are pending.
Avwunuma was still in custody as of publication. The charge was filed Tuesday, July 28, in Hennepin County District Court.
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
Hennepin County is Minnesota’s most populous jurisdiction. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office handles felony prosecutions across Minneapolis and 45 surrounding cities; the Fourth Judicial District presides over felony arraignments and trials at the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis.
