Elgin Man Sexual Abuse Charges

43-year old Seth Russell Benike of Elgin is facing seven felony charges for alleged sexual abuse of an underage girl over several years.

Authorities say Benike held positions with a local wrestling booster club and as an assistant coach, despite Benike having pleaded guilty to first-degree criminal sexual conduct in 2004. 

He was taken into custody last Thursday by Wabasha County authorities.

The alleged abuse Benike is accused of started when the victim was in sixth grade and continued through her high school years.

The charges span from September 2014 to July 2020 and allege multiple acts of abuse against a girl under 16, later continuing when she was 16 and 17.

According to the criminal complaint, the victim reported a long history of alleged abuse by Seth Russell Benike, her stepfather.

The victim stated she stayed at her mother’s residence in Elgin on Wednesdays and alternating weekends, as her biological father held primary custody.

Bail has been set at $50,000. The court ordered that he continue to be detained pending further proceedings.