Who Is Corey Vanessen? Pipestone Christian Reformed Church Arrest

Corey Vanessen is a Minnesota man who was charged with second-degree criminal sexual conduct after a person told the Pipestone County Sheriff’s Office that Vanessen had sexual contact with them in 2015, when they were 14 years old.

Vanessen had served as a youth group leader at Pipestone Christian Reformed Church. According to the criminal complaint described by The Globe, investigators searched Vanessen’s Edgerton residence in June 2022 and questioned him about allegations involving a teenager from the church.

A later Pipestone County booking record shows a Corey John Vanessen booked on November 13, 2023 on a second-degree criminal sexual conduct charge under Minnesota Statute 609.343.1(b). The publicly available booking record does not explain why he was booked again or establish the ultimate disposition of the criminal case.

Why Was Corey Vanessen Arrested?

The investigation began after an individual reported alleged sexual contact dating back to 2015. The Pipestone County Sheriff’s Office received the report on June 7, 2022. The complainant told investigators that Vanessen had engaged in a sexual relationship with them when they were 14 years old. [The Globe]

The allegations concerned conduct that allegedly occurred while Vanessen was involved with youth activities at Pipestone Christian Reformed Church.

What Did The Alleged Victim Tell Police?

The complainant described sexual contact that allegedly occurred at their home in March 2015. According to The Globe’s account of the probable-cause allegations, the individual said Vanessen went to the home, had them remove clothing and engaged in sexual contact. [The Globe]

The person was 14 at the time of the alleged conduct.

Because the complainant was a minor when the alleged events occurred, this page does not identify them.

What Was Corey Vanessen’s Role At The Church?

Vanessen was described as a youth group leader at Pipestone Christian Reformed Church. The alleged victim was described in the criminal investigation as a teenager connected to Vanessen through the church. [The Globe]

Pipestone Christian Reformed Church is a congregation at 800 2nd Avenue SE in Pipestone and is part of the Christian Reformed Church in North America’s Classis Minnkota. [Pipestone Christian Reformed Church] [Christian Reformed Church In North America]

The church’s current website does not list Vanessen among its present leadership.

What Did Police Find When They Searched Vanessen’s Home?

Investigators executed a search warrant at Vanessen’s Edgerton residence on June 9, 2022. Officers told him they were investigating allegations of sexual assault involving conduct from approximately 2014 to 2015. [The Globe]

The publicly available reporting does not provide a detailed inventory of evidence seized during the search.

What Did Corey Vanessen Allegedly Tell Investigators?

According to the complaint, Vanessen acknowledged becoming too close to a teenager at his church. After receiving a Miranda warning, Vanessen allegedly told investigators he had gotten “a little too close” with a teenager from the congregation. [The Globe]

That reported statement came from law-enforcement allegations summarized in the criminal complaint. It should not be treated as an admission to every element of the criminal charge.

What Charge Did Corey Vanessen Face?

Vanessen was charged with second-degree criminal sexual conduct. A later booking record specifically lists Minnesota Statute 609.343.1(b). [Pipestone County Booking Record]

Because the alleged conduct occurred in 2015, the version of Minnesota law in effect at that time is important.

Under the 2015 version of Minnesota Statute 609.343, subdivision 1(b), a person could commit second-degree criminal sexual conduct by engaging in sexual contact with someone who was at least 13 but younger than 16 when the accused person was more than 48 months older and was in a position of authority over the minor. Under that provision, mistake about the minor’s age or the minor’s consent was not a defense. [Minnesota Statutes 2015]

What Does “Position Of Authority” Mean Under Minnesota Law?

Minnesota law broadly defined a position of authority to include adults responsible for a child’s welfare or supervision. The statutory definition included a person charged with any duty or responsibility for the health, welfare or supervision of a child, even if that responsibility existed only briefly. [Minnesota Statutes]

Whether Vanessen legally qualified as being in a position of authority was an element for prosecutors to establish in the criminal case. His role as a church youth leader formed part of the factual background reported when the charge was filed.

What Is The Possible Penalty For Second-Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct?

Under the 2015 statute, second-degree criminal sexual conduct carried a potential maximum sentence of 25 years in prison, a fine of up to $35,000, or both. [Minnesota Statutes 2015]

Those figures represent the statutory maximum and do not mean that a defendant automatically receives that sentence following a conviction.

Sentences in Minnesota also depend on the precise offense, criminal history, sentencing guidelines, plea agreements and other factors considered by the court.

Was Corey Vanessen Booked Again In 2023?

A public Pipestone County booking record lists Corey John Vanessen as being booked on November 13, 2023. The record lists booking ID 3133 and a charge under 609.343.1(b), described as second-degree criminal sexual conduct involving contact. [Pipestone County Booking Record]

The record says its information originated with Pipestone County law-enforcement records. [Pipestone County Booking Record]

The booking entry does not by itself establish why Vanessen was taken into custody again. A later booking can occur for numerous reasons during a pending criminal case, including a court order, a change in release status, a plea or sentencing proceedings. The publicly accessible record reviewed for this page does not specify which applied here.

Was Corey Vanessen Convicted?

The publicly accessible sources reviewed for this update do not establish a final conviction, acquittal or dismissal in Vanessen’s case.

The 2022 reporting establishes that he was charged, while the 2023 booking record establishes a subsequent booking on the same statutory type of charge. Neither source, however, documents a guilty plea, jury verdict, sentencing order or dismissal. [The Globe] [Pipestone County Booking Record]

Accordingly, it would be inaccurate to describe Vanessen as convicted based solely on the records presently available online.

What Is Pipestone Christian Reformed Church?

Pipestone Christian Reformed Church is a long-established Minnesota congregation. The Christian Reformed Church in North America says the congregation was organized in 1938 and is part of Classis Minnkota. [Christian Reformed Church In North America]

The church describes itself as a Reformed Christian congregation focused on worship, biblical teaching and community ministries. Its current pastor is Stephen Wynja. [Pipestone Christian Reformed Church]

There is no evidence in the sources reviewed for this page that current church leadership was accused of participating in or concealing the conduct alleged against Vanessen.

What Is The Latest Publicly Documented Development?

The latest case-specific public record located for this update is Vanessen’s November 13, 2023 Pipestone County booking on a second-degree criminal sexual conduct charge. [Pipestone County Booking Record]

No reliable publicly accessible report located through September 11, 2026 documents a later verdict, guilty plea, sentence or dismissal.

The criminal allegations against Vanessen should therefore be described as allegations unless and until a court record establishing a final disposition is available.