Chisago Lakes area police officer resigns six months after Snapchat messages surface

A well-known Chisago Lakes man, who at one time was a school board member and youth hockey association president, has resigned from the Lakes Area Police Department.

The Lakes Area Police Commission accepted Cory Spencer’s resignation this week, six months after he went on medical leave. Documents obtained by 5 INVESTIGATES show the LAPD had opened an internal affairs investigation into Spencer, a patrol sergeant, around the same time.

In April, Spencer resigned from the Chisago Lakes School Board after admitting he had violated district policies. Police and court records show Spencer was accused of using Snapchat to message at least one teen girl.

Spencer was never charged with a crime. A Chisago County Sheriff’s Office report concluded his actions “did not appear to be criminal in nature.” 

In the investigation, deputies found he asked a 14-year-old girl for selfies, told her she was “very pretty” and invited her to his residence.

The girl’s mother obtained a restraining order against Spencer after the court found he “exploited a position of authority” by using social media to “continue the harassment.”

SafeSport, a national nonprofit that investigates allegations of misconduct in youth sports, is also investigating Spencer, who had coached high school softball, middle school football, and served as president of the Chisago Lakes Hockey Association.

Spencer’s police personnel file, obtained by 5 INVESTIGATES, shows he had two complaints against him, both of which were exonerated. 

The file shows Spencer was first hired by the LAPD in 2007 where he rose to the rank of patrol sergeant in 2018. Spencer’s law enforcement license, which expires next year, is currently inactive, according to the Minnesota Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST Board).

Spencer addressed the allegations during a school board meeting in April, making special note they weren’t criminal in nature. He acknowledged the district investigation found he violated a policy “regarding excessive social contact between staff and students, and also transporting students in a non-authorized personal vehicle.” 

In a prepared statement to the school board, Spencer said he fully cooperated with the district’s investigation and wanted to be transparent.

“Actions on my part have only ever been intended to help and support kids,” Spencer said. “I would never do anything to compromise that.”