Feb. 23—WABASHA, Minn. — Grant Thomas Klennert, 39, of Hayfield, received stays of adjudication on three of five charges that were filed against him stemming from sexual contact with minors over several years.

Klennert will be under supervised probation for 19 years, until 2043, and must follow a list of conditions that include no contact with his victims, undergoing a psychological-sexual evaluation, and he is ordered to have no unsupervised contact with children in certain circumstances, including no unsupervised contact with children under the age of 16 until a therapist says that unsupervised contact may be allowed.

The other two charges against Klennert were dismissed.

On Jan. 2, 2024,

the former principal of Hayfield High School pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting several juveniles decades ago,

including two charges of first-degree criminal sexual assault and one second-degree criminal sexual conduct charge, all felonies.

One charge each of first-degree criminal sexual assault and second-degree criminal sexual conduct were dropped.

He had been the principal of Hayfield High School the seven years when he was

arrested in December 2022.

He had been employed with the school district for 16 years.

According to a criminal complaint:

Klennert was accused of forcefully sexually assaulting three juveniles between 1997 and the fall of 2003 when Klennert himself was a juvenile in Wabasha County.

The assaults were first reported to law enforcement in October 2022 by a man who accused Klennert of forcefully sexually assaulting him almost weekly over several years while both were juveniles.

The assaults started when Klennert, who is five years older than the victim, was in the seventh grade.

The man told law enforcement that he told his mother what was happening when he was in the fourth grade and was told not to mention it to anyone else.

Another person, who is nearly three years younger than Klennert, alleged that Klennert sexually assaulted her when she was around 13 and said she witnessed Klennert sexually assault the previous victim.

Klennert was also accused of sexually assaulting a 7-year-old male juvenile in 2001. Klennert would have been 16 years old at the time.

Those experiencing sexual exploitation can call a 24-hour crisis line at 507-289-0636 to speak to someone who can direct you towards help.