A West Fargo man faces life in prison without parole and his wife faces 20 years in prison for the rapes of two children.
Andrew Brice Muhle, 35, and Shannon Renee Muhle, 30, both of 207 9½ Ave. W., made first appearances Friday afternoon in East Central District Court in Fargo before Judge Cynthia Rothe-Seeger.
Andrew Muhle was charged with two counts of gross sexual imposition for having sex with a4-year-old girl and one count of abuse or neglect of a child for having sex with the same girl in front of an 8-year-old boy.
One of the gross sexual imposition counts is for an act that occurred in August, after state law changed to make the offense a AA felony with a maximum sentence of life without parole. Cass County State's Attorney Birch Burdick said it was the first time gross sexual imposition has been charged as an AA felony in Cass County.
Shannon Muhle was charged with abuse or neglect of a child for not stopping her husband from having sex with the girl and with gross sexual imposition for having sex with the same 8-year-old boy. The second charge is a Class A felony with a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
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Cass County Assistant State's Attorney Mark Boening said either of the Muhles could receive the maximum sentence even though neither has any criminal history.
Both appeared at Friday's arraignment by closed-circuit television from the Cass County Jail. Neither made a statement.
Assistant Cass County State's Attorney Jonathan Anderson requested $1 million bail for Andrew Muhle and $500,000 bail for Shannon Muhle. Defense attorney Dennis Fisher suggested $2,500 bail for each, saying they both had jobs and ties to the community.
Rothe-Seeger set bail at $500,000 cash or bond for Andrew Muhle and $200,000 cash or bond for Shannon Muhle. Both remained in the Cass County Jail Friday afternoon.
They were arrested late Wednesday.
CHARGES JUMP
According to court documents, West Fargo police began investigating the couple after being contacted by Cass County Social Services.
Court documents say the 4-year-old girl told both law enforcement and Social Services personnel that Andrew Muhle touched her sexually. Another child, a 6-year-old boy, told investigators he sawAndrew Muhle have sex with the girl, the documents say.
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The 6-year-old boy told investigators he heard the 8-year-old and Shannon Muhle have sex.
Patty Moser, a neighbor, said she contacted Cass County Social Services about the Muhles in November after her own daughter told her about conversations with one of the victims.
"She actually told me word-for-word what he said," Moser said. "She goes, 'Mom, he's only 7, he shouldn't know that kind of language.'"
But she said she suspected problems with the Muhles before she ever heard allegations of sexual abuse.
"You could feel things, you see things and it's not right," Moser said.
The couple will be in court again next month for preliminary hearings.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Tom Pantera at (701) 241-5541
