Moorhead Man Charged With Sexual Assault and Strangulation

A man is accused of sexually assaulting and choking a woman at a Moorhead residence on October 13, according to a criminal complaint filed in Clay County.

Shane Dennis Gorden, 46, faces three charges: first-degree criminal sexual conduct, domestic assault by strangulation and domestic assault within 10 years of two or more previous convictions.

According to the complaint, law enforcement responded to a reported domestic assault at a residence in Moorhead at about 8:43 p.m. on October 13. The person who reported it told police the woman had said Gorden sexually assaulted her earlier that day, at about 2 p.m.

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The person who reported it also told police he saw bruises on her body. When officers spoke with the woman, she admitted Gorden had hit her but became reluctant to give further details about her injuries, the complaint says.

Police were also given a video recorded earlier that day. In it, the woman said Gorden threw her to the ground, sexually assaulted her and choked her so hard she could not breathe, and that she thought she was going to die, according to the complaint.

The charges against Gorden include first-degree criminal sexual conduct for allegedly sexually assaulting the victim using force, domestic assault by strangulation for choking the victim, and domestic assault based on a prior history of convictions within the last 10 years.

According to the complaint, Gorden was previously convicted of felony domestic assault on January 13, 2022.

The charges were filed October 14 in Clay County District Court.