Minneapolis man convicted of criminal sexual conduct in 1st of 12 cases

A Minneapolis man has been found guilty of criminal sexual conduct in the first of 12 pending cases against him.

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office says 26-year-old Kenyatta Buckles was convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, first-degree aggravated robbery, kidnapping, felon in possession of a firearm and second-degree assault in connection to a March 18, 2019, assault.

The attorney’s office said the jury also found heinous contributing factors, which elevates the maximum sentence for Buckles to life in prison without the possibility of release.

A criminal complaint states Buckles impersonated a man named Adam on a texting app and, after agreeing to meet in person, pointed a gun at the woman, forced her into an alley and then sexually assaulted her while forcing her to record it on her phone. He then took her phone and fled.

When officers found Buckles, they also found multiple phones that connected him to previous rapes, the complaint states.

His sentencing is set for Sept. 15.