Granite Falls man who held girl captive, attacked her in dorm room, sentenced to 90 months in prison

Granite Falls man accused of holding his girlfriend captive, assaulting her and waterboarding her in a St. Patrick’s University dorm room. Catherine in 2023 was sentenced to 90 months in prison on Monday.

Keanu Avery Labatte, 20, was sentenced to 90 months (7.5 years) in prison after pleading guilty to one count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct. Labatte must also stay away from the victim, who is subject to a domestic violence restraining order, and register as a sex offender for life.

Court documents show Labette will receive credit for 16 days served.

In July, Labatte pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct in exchange for the dismissal of four other charges.

According to the complaint, Labatte arrived at the university in September 2023 to visit his girlfriend of two months. On the night he arrived, he saw text messages, photos and information on social media that “infuriated him,” setting off a harrowing weekend of physical and sexual violence.

As we previously reportedthe victim told investigators that Labatte first took her phone. He then forced himself on the victim after she told Labatte she did not want to have sex, the complaint states.

Labatte became increasingly brutal, choking the victim until she felt dizzy and threatening to kill her and her family. He also suggested that he would put a knife to her throat – he told the victim that he had done this to his ex-girlfriend.

The complaint described the victim “felt terrified to the point where she simply lay next to Labatte and didn’t move out of fear of what he would do to her.”

On Saturday, Labatte allegedly waterboarded the victim by placing him in a bathtub, covering his face with a washcloth and pouring water on him. The victim also remembers Labatte threatening her with a knife, “looking for the right vein (in her arm) to cut it deep enough so that no one could save her.”

The woman finally escaped on the morning of September 10, 2023, when she convinced Labatte to let her fetch food from the dining room. Labatte gave her back her phone and told her to contact him on Snapchat to make sure he wasn’t trying to escape, the complaint states. Instead, she went to campus security to report the attacks.

When police arrived to search the room, they found a folding knife in the backpack and a damp washcloth in the bathroom. The mattress was moved to the floor, which the victim said Labatte did to stop the bed from squeaking as he sexually assaulted her.

At this time, Labatte was still in the room and was arrested. He decided to turn to Fifth after officers read him his Miranda rights.

While examining the sexual assault, the nurse noticed that the victim had bruising around her ear, face, and neck, as well as severe body pain.

Court records show that at the time of the assault, Labatte was on parole for violating a restraining order restraining himself from another woman in Yellow Medicine County.

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If you or someone you know is experiencing violence, there are several sources of help available. For immediate assistance please contact:

According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, more than 12 million people experience domestic violence every year in the United States alone.

The organizations listed above can help victims access resources such as safe shelter, advocacy, legal aid, and support groups.

The National Domestic Violence Helpline also offers tips on recognizing violence and supporting victims of violence. CLICK HERE to see them.

Other organizations that can help include:

Minnesota also has a list of many other crime victim resources you can find HERE.