Granite Falls man who held girlfriend captive attacked her in dorm room and was sentenced to 90 months in prison

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

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 has a Domestic Abuse Contact Order against him, and register as a sex offender for life.

Court documents show Labatte will receive credit for 16 days of time served.

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

According to a criminal complaint, Labatte had come to the university in September 2023 to visit his girlfriend of two months. The night he arrived, he saw texts, photos and information on social media that “enraged” him, setting off a harrowing weekend of physical and sexual abuse.

As 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 sex, the complaint states.

Labatte became increasingly violent and strangled the victim until she became dizzy and threatened to kill her and her family. He also insinuated that he would hold a knife to her throat – an act he told the victim he had done to a former girlfriend.

The complaint describes the victim as “so scared that she would just lay down next to Labatte and not move for fear of what he would do to her.”

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

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

When police arrived to search the room, they found a pocket knife in a backpack and a damp washcloth in the bathroom. The mattress had been moved to the floor, which the victim said Labatte had done so the bed would not squeak while he sexually assaulted her.

Labatte was still in the room at the time and was arrested. He chose to plead the Fifth after officers read him his Miranda rights.

During a sexual assault investigation, a nurse noted that the victim had suffered bruising around her ear, face and neck, along with severe physical pain.

Court records show Labatte was on probation at the time of the attack for violating a restraining order involving another woman in Yellow Medicine County.

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If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, there are several resources available to help. For immediate assistance, please contact:

According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, more than twelve million people are affected by domestic violence every year in the US alone.

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

The National Domestic Violence Hotline also offers tips for identifying abuse and supporting victims of abuse. CLICK HERE to see it.

Other organizations that can help include:

Minnesota also has a list of many other resources for crime victims HERE.