By Seth Boyes,
Courtney Rae Turner
A former Decorah resident pleaded not guilty this week after being accused of sexually abusing a teen earlier this year.
Courtney Rae Turner was charged with two counts of third-degree sexual abuse in mid-January. The 30-year-old is accused of having a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old boy — identified only by his initials in court documents — while residing at an apartment in Decorah. Court filings indicate Turner currently resides in Harmony, Minnesota.
Court records said the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services was first informed of the alleged abuse by one of the teen’s relatives. The family member reported seeing messages the teen and Turner had exchanged via the mobile app Snapchat, including explicit images and a message in which Turner allegedly claimed “(the teen) was hers and she didn’t care what people thought of their relationship.”
Criminal complaints filed against Turner said DHS informed local law enforcement of the allegations in January. Authorities, along with a representative of DHS, visited Turner’s apartment in the 700 block of Ridgewood Drive in Decorah as part of the investigation. Residents of the apartment building indicated they too believed Turner to be in a sexual relationship with the teenage boy, according to court documents. At least one resident claimed to have walked into a room while Turner and the teen were naked in the same bed. The resident said he had raised concerns about their behavior and told investigators he believed the two “were trying to get pregnant.” Another resident told investigators Turner and the teen were less than secretive about their alleged relationship, and the witness suspected the two were also using drugs together. The witness told investigators Turner and the boy usually conducted their encounters in one of two apartment units — the witness told investigators “she didn’t agree with what was happening but did not know how to stop it.”
Court documents show investigators executed search warrants for the two apartment units in question on Jan. 17 and seized several items — multiple pieces of bedding and cellular phones — in addition to taking genetic samples from Turner and the teen.
Criminal complaints were filed against Turner the following month. A police officer’s written narrative in the complaint indicated both Turner and the teenager were interviewed the same day the search warrants had been executed.
Turner denied the accusations of sexual abuse, according to the complaint.
“(The teen) initially denied a sexual relationship with the defendant but changed his story after realizing the seriousness of the situation,” the officer wrote. “(He) had feelings for the defendant and didn’t want her to get in trouble.”
The complaint went on to say the teenager provided police with more specifics regarding his activities with Turner, and a search of both their Snapchat accounts revealed images of the teen and Turner “kissing, laying in bed together and messages suggesting they were in a relationship.”
A warrant for Turner’s arrest was issued March 4.
Filings in an unrelated case said a Decorah Police officer recognized Turner on June 23, while she was inside a local convenience store along Montgomery Street in Decorah. The officer recalled a warrant being issued for Turner, and criminal complaints in that case said the 30-year-old denied being Courtney Turner when the officer confronted her. Turner attempted to flea on foot after saying “she was in a hurry and needed to leave,” according to the complaint. The officer was able to stop her and placed her in handcuffs. The complaints went on to say marijuana buds, THC cartridges and a glass pipe were discovered in Turner’s purse — the 30-year-old was charged with interference with official acts, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Turner was served with the arrest warrant in the abuse case the same day. She was later released under the condition she appear for all necessary court proceedings related to the abuse trial – failure to do so may result in her being required to pay a $10,000 bond, and she would potentially be required to serve up to five years in prison or pay a fine of up to $5,000, according to court documents.
Trial information in the abuse case was officially filed by state prosecutors on July 11, but a specific trial date has yet to be scheduled.
Submit A Comment
Fill out the form to submit a comment. All comments require approval by our staff before it is displayed on the website.