A former Catholic priest with the St. Cloud Diocese has been accused of sexual misconduct with a woman while being her spiritual adviser.
Aaron John Kuhn, 47, of Wadena, was charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct Monday in Stearns County District Court.
According to the charges, he “wrongfully and unlawfully engaged in sexual penetration with another person (and) the actor was or purported to be a member of the clergy.”
A woman told law enforcement she had sexual contact with Kuhn between September 2019 and October 2022 while he was providing her “with spiritual direction,” according to the Stearns County Attorney’s Office.
She said Kuhn used his role as a spiritual adviser to manipulate and pressure her into engaging in sexual acts. Additionally, she reported that the abuse escalated over time and that she repeatedly asked Kuhn to stop.
The incidents allegedly occurred on multiple occasions and in multiple locations across Wadena, Stearns and Benton counties — including in Sartell and St. Cloud — while Kuhn served as a priest for the St. Cloud Diocese.
Investigators said in the criminal complaint that they interviewed multiple witnesses affiliated with the church who confirmed that Kuhn acknowledged having sexual contact with the victim during this time.
The St. Cloud Diocese removed Kuhn from active ministry in June 2024. On Tuesday, the diocese said that Kuhn had been placed on full administrative leave effective immediately once it learned of the criminal charges.
