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Sorenson faces stalking charges

NICOLLET COUNTY — A 56-year-old rural New Ulm man earlier charged with multiple counts of criminal felony sexual conduct for allegedly molesting a teenage girl, was charged with felony and gross misdemeanor stalking and a misdemeanor domestic abusecharge of violating an order for protection July 28 in Nicollet County District Court.

Robert J. Sorenson, 61436 CR 21, New Ulm, was recently arrested and charged with one count of felony stalking, gross misdemeanor stalking and for misdemeanor violating an order for protection (OFP) for allegedly tracking his wife via an OnStar vehicle device, according to court documents.

Last February, Wendy D. Sorenson obtained a year-long OFP against Robert Sorenson. On June 14, she told a Nicollet County Sheriff’s Investigator she believed she was being electronically monitored via her vehicle’s OnStar system that allows subscribers to remotely view a vehicle’s location via its global positioning system (GPS).

Wendy Sorenson told the investigator she never activated the OnStar account and later learned that Robert Sorenson activated it last year. In addition, she contacted OnStar and learned that Robert Sorenson logged onto OnStar multiple times since Jan. 1, 2017.

The investigator obtained OnStar records that showed 479 login and locate activate entries from Jan. 1, 2017 to June 16, 2017. The first reported activity occurred Jan. 12, 2017 with only four entries before Feb. 17, 2017, the date Wendy Sorenson obtained her OFP.

A witness told Wendy Sorenson that Robert Sorenson was using OnStar to track her location. At that point, she began contacting OnStar to try to get her account information but had difficulty obtaining it because Robert Sorenson used his email and phone numbers on the account.

In addition, the investigator believed Robert Sorenson installed a “tile” somewhere in Wendy Sorenson’s belongings and used it to continue monitoring her after their separation.

Robert Sorenson admitted to the investigator that he had OnStar on Wendy Sorenson’s vehicle. A pre-trial hearing was set for 10:30 a.m., Sept. 12 in Nicollet County District Court.

Sorenson and his wife were both charged in February with varoius charges involving molestation of a teenaged girl. Robert Sorenson was charged with having sex with the girl and setting up a hidden camera to videotape another girl while she was undressed. He lived with both girls and had a significant relationship with them. Wendy Sorenson was charged with child endangerment for allegedly knowing about the molestation and doing nothing to protect the girls.

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