Atwater, Minn., man pleads to criminal sexual conduct charge, will face prison time

WILLMAR — Aaron Bobby Phipps, 41, of Atwater, pleaded guilty Tuesday to a third-degree charge of criminal sexual conduct for assaulting a woman last summer at a Willmar motel.
As part of a plea agreement in Kandiyohi County District Court, two additional felony charges of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and terroristic threats, plus a gross misdemeanor charge of fifth-degree assault, will be dismissed. He will be sentenced, likely to 77 months in prison, on March 5.
The charges were filed after June 28, when Willmar police and CEE-VI Drug Task Force agents to the Viking Motel, along Business 71 North, on a report that a man was attempting to break into a motel room. Officers arrived to find Phipps outside of the building, attempting to leave in a vehicle. He was stopped from leaving and was later arrested.
A woman at the motel reported that Phipps had grabbed her by the throat, pushed her into furniture and had acted as if he was going to strangle her with a cord. He also made remarks about killing her and turning her into a prostitute.
The woman also reported that Phipps had sexually assaulted her. Another individual had witnessed the assault and had helped the woman escape from Phipps.