Prison For Rochester Man Who Sexually Abused & Impregnated Girl

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Rochester man has been ordered to prison for sexually assaulting and impregnating a teenage girl.

38-year-old Rafeal Earl Steele entered a guilty plea to a first-degree criminal sexual conduct charge in early January. Court records show the plea deal was reached just as his trial was scheduled to begin.

According to the criminal charges in the case, genetic testing was used to identify Steele as the father of an infant boy who was born at Mayo Clinic facility in Rochester in the fall of 2022. The court document identified the mother as a 15-year-old girl.

The charges against Steele says the girl was 14 years old when she became pregnant. She initially told investigators that an unidentified teenage boy was the father, but later offered police "another inconsistent hypothesis for the origin of the pregnancy."

Get our free mobile app

An Olmsted County judge today sentenced Steele to 12.5 years in prison. Following his discharge from prison, Steele will be on supervised release for another 10 years.

More Minnesota News:

• Rochester Teen Man Accused of Sexually Assaulting Young Girl
• Rochester Man Who Listed Cocaine For Sale on Snapchat Sentenced
• SE Minnesota Romance Scam Victim Admits to Theft of Millions