Complaints: St. Paul man charged in 2 sexual assault cases involving 'same plan or scheme'

A St. Paul man was set to make an appearance in court this week in connection with two cases of criminal sexual conduct that happened in 2018 and 2019.

Maurice Londell McClendon, 28, has been charged with one count each of first-degree and third-degree criminal sexual conduct in connection to an incident Aug. 15, 2019 as well as one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in connection to an incident May 24, 2018.

Two criminal complaints—one filed Wednesday and one filed in December—detail the following:

Officers responded to the Minnesota History Museum at about 4 p.m. Aug. 15, 2019, after receiving a report of a sexual assault.

Upon arrival, authorities found a woman who was bleeding from the mouth. She was transported to a nearby hospital where she spoke with authorities. She told police a man, later identified as McClendon, had approached her that afternoon, asking her if she wanted "to smoke a blunt" with him. She accompanied him to a nearby utility shed where he proceeded to punch her in the face and sexually assault her. She told authorities McClendon ran from the scene which was when she tried calling 911 and ran to find help.

When questioned, McClendon said the woman had agreed to exchange sex for money and that he didn't remember hitting her but that he "recalled looking at her face and seeing she had a bloodied lip." He told authorities he tried to leave the scene because he didn't want to pay the woman.

McClendon, who registered as a predatory offender after being convicted of criminal sexual conduct as a juvenile, pleaded not guilty to the charges in December, according to court documents.

According to the complaint filed this week, an incident that happened May 24, 2018, involving McClendon "involved the same plan or scheme." The complaint goes on to state, in the 2018 incident, McClendon "approached an unknown woman and offered to smoke dope with her. The offender proceeded to sexually assault the woman."

Authorities met with a woman at a hospital in St. Paul at about 7 p.m. on May 24, 2018, who said that after a man, later identified as McClendon, approached her and a friend, she went with him to an area near the Minnesota History Museum. The woman told authorities McClendon pulled a knife from his backpack, put his hands over her mouth, and sexually assaulted her.

When questioned, McClendon denied ever seeing the woman before. He did admit to having "sex for drugs transactions" with women in the area near the Minnesota History Museum.