Bayport man charged with sexual assault

“This guy is seducing young women into illegal behavior and then taking advantage of them. He's victimizing this girl and we need to put a stop to it.”

A Bayport man has been charged with providing alcohol to a 16-year-old girl and inappropriately touching her in a sexual manner. via Stillwater Gazette

[Concerned Parent]

Cheers to this brave 16 year old girl and her family for their courage and strength to do the right thing, this man broke the law not once but 11+ times and should be punished for each of the 11+ incidents.

[Kelly]

It's about time. From my understanding, this is a common practice for him.

[Concerned Parent]

At the age of 4-5 you teach a child a good touch and a bad touch what was this girl taught at home if it took her 11 times to get a clue.. And what was the boyfriend thinking??? Did he pour booze down her troat? She was there all day, why??? Where were her parents??When she was in the car why did she go back in the house?? I am not the jury but something does not add up.. It looks like someone has it out for this guy. I think we are making the man guilty of a far out teen fairy tale. Oh I have a 17 year old daughter.If my daughter was out all day I would have some kind of communication with her. I think someone needs to look at this case agian.

[reader]

My guess is the county attorneys office would not be pressing charges if they did not have facts and proof to back it up, these folks work long and hard to keep the bad guys off the streets.

[Lilly Edina]

Looks like a witch hunt to me... Sounds like someone out there is out to frame this guy. I think the parents need to tame there daughter and teach her right from wrong. Maybe treatment??? Get the giel some help with her drinking, I do not think that was the only time she was drinking.

[Logic]

Way to side with the accused....no wonder so many victims are afraid of stepping forward. Sounds like this Bergum has a history already. First, he's already on probation. Second, it's illegal to supply minors with alcohol. Third, sounds like he drugged them with GHB. Stop blaming the victims!

[Lilly Edina]

There are two sides to every story.. I know the press. There is not a ton of logic the girl kept coming back.. Why???? Do you think she was only drinking there?? I think the girl is crying for help. Come on parents spend sometime getting to know your kids.Maybe the guy is on probation, 5th degree you could get caught with rolling papers to get a 5th degree. Did they prove he gave them alcohol? Drugs?? This is a 17 year old with some big problems already. Who is the real victim?? I think this poor guy and his family. Like I said it does not take a ton of logic in this case. This is a sure sign of a witch hunt. I do not even know the man, but I think someone has it out for him. I think you have taken this to personal logic. Let go of your anger and think about the fact there are two sides to this. I think the parents should have been more involved with how there daughter was spending her time.

[Stillwater parent]

I know the 16 year old and her boy friend not my first choice when it comes to who I want my daughter to hang out with. She has been on the wild side since Jr. High. The drinking problem has been going on for a long time. The fruit does not fall far from the tree. I think this maybe a cry for some help or just a way to get her parents to spend some time with her. I agree the parents need to be more involved with this 16 year old. at 16 this girl is going done the wrong path. She needs to stop drinking.

[Rob]

Um, Lilly Edina, did you know that rolling papers are legal and available for purchase at the corner store? I think this guy has been implicated in some other rather bad behavior in the area for which he hasn't been charged...yet. Teenagers looking for kicks with booze, drugs and sex is hardly an abnormal behavior, though it certainly is an area of concern for parents. A father drugging his daughter's friend to get into her pants is another thing altogether and should be of enormous concern to everyone in the area.

[Cassidy St Paul]

Dear Lily, Quit blaming the girl. News flash.. Last time I checked Adults where in charge of who they allow into their homes. The accused could have asked the girl to go home, if she was drinking he could have called her parents or the police to have the girl removed from his home, he did not. Who is in charge here the girl or the home owner?? If she was that bad of a girl why would she have been allowed to spend the nignt in the home?? Why did the accused not monitor his daughters friends more closely?? Help me understand why would one allow their daughter to hang around someone with a drinking problem? I would question the chemical use of all the teens that hang out at this home. And the fact that his man has a felony for possession of cocaine should concern all who have had childen who have visited this mans home.
Regardess if this girl does or does not have a drinking problem is not the issue at hand, it is far more serious. This man choose to create an inviroment in his home for this sad story to play out regardless who did what.

[Woodbury Parent]

As a parent of three teen age daughters I do go to the homes where my children spend the night. I make it a rule to meet the parents, and ?? when I do not get a call from a parent when there daughter is spending the night at my home. 5th degree possession is not a felony. You could have a trace of cocaine to get that. I would have sent the girl home and never had her back nor would my daughters been able to spend time with her agian. But 11 times and still going back I think someone is not telling the whole story. Something is missing here. I would like to hear the fathers side of the story. Who knows maybe it is a cry for help from the 16 year old. Maybe her parents need to get to know there daughter and her friends. Teen age girls can be Drama Queens. I think the fathers daughter made a bad choice of friends.

[What the]

What was the girl wearing? Maybe her choice of clothing made this adult man put his hand down her pants? Or it could be her drinking problem that made this adult man fondel her? He is clearly the victim here? They should be pressing charges against the 16 year old juvenile girl for making him give her booze, date rape drugs, and making him molest her? I hope next time a 10 year old girl doesn't make him do the same things?

[OMG]

What the H is wrong with some of you? Im thinking maybe "Lily" might be a man who's last name starts with a B. Weather the girl was drinking or dressed skimpy, has a past or even flirting with Mr. Burgum I think it is up to the old man to be the adult he seems to have forgotten he was. He's the adult!! With the attitude some of you have it's no wonder our sex offender laws are a joke, we've been going after the wrong people, according to some of you we should be going after the kids and letting the child touchers run free.

[Margo]

Who is Lily? Reading the comments, someone has it out for this guy. A ton of anger. At sixteen I think you should know right from wrong. My seven year old is smarter than that. Did they find this guy quilty? Hopkins sounds like he should seek help. I was just looking for infomation on Bayport.

[Hey Margo]

You and I are on the same side! Your also blaming the girl! Your saying the 16 and 7 year old should be smarter and have better judgement than a grown man? The blame should go on on the kids? The adult male is off the hook and it's all in the hands of the children! Keep up the good work!

[one victim]

sounds like you should all be investigators here?

before you start pointing fingers maybe you should make sure what you are talking about-
this was her BEST FRIEND'S dad. you like going to your best friends house right? and face it... all of your 16-year olds are drinking if they go to stillwater. you all need to keep in touch with them more then you do. The 10-11 times before were not like the last. maybe if you guys were there you would have known? instead of spreading rumors and getting worked up on here. 10-11 times before were pats on the butt, and things like that and the last time took it too far. she hasn't been back since so if any of you have anything else to say. think about the facts before you talk. thanks.

[one victim]

ONCE AGAIN! none of you knew what she was wearing either. she had on pajama shorts- the kind from target you may all go purchase a pair and realize that they are not at all skimpy, nor see through, nor anything else for that matter. and a sweatshirt! come on people

[concerned citizen]

it was not a small trace of cocaine. this house was not like the rest where you walk in and just "talk to the parents". this page needs to end its nothing but a gossip place.

[Does it matter]

Wow! People just stop already! Anyone that really knows him, knows that these stories are made up by some stupid high school girls that have nothing better to do, but ruin some man's life. If the reporters actually did their job and investigated more into the story they would realize that this is just a bunch of garbage! One thing that these girls are forgetting is that there was other adult witnesses there that knows none of this happened. Mike hasn't even been convicted of any of these things. He has been through a lot in the past couple of months and yet he hasn't cracked, he hasn't gone off the deep end and he hasn't run away from all of this. Any man that is truly guilty would have done anyone one of those things, if not all of them. He has done nothing but what any of us do everyday. Get up go to work, meetings, anything that has been asked by him. He has been but a great father to his children and has been there for his family and friends. Get your facts right then post your story and comments.

[One of the many victims]

It's really pathetic reading some of these comments. After feeling a little out of touch with reality, I've realized that these are actually people siding with Mike. First of all, I'm not sure what hit you in the head, but if you KNOW Mike, you know damn right that this is true. So go ahead, stick up for him. But be prepared to feel like an asshole when he's proven guilty for not only this case, and the last one, but the many more in the near future. So please, by all means, go over there, party with him. Just don't get caught in the same situation that I did, and many other people did.
Also, I'd like to bring the age gap to attention. Comments about the girls' clothing, or that she was drinking, or implying bad parenting...it's pretty weak.
You could be wearing a turtleneck and mike would still stare at your chest.
16 year old drink. It's the young age that we develop knowledge of personal tolerance. Not 35 years old...6 kids, with 6 different women.(In no way whatsoever am I suggesting insults toward the women he's been with. I know alot of you, and you thankfully moved on. You all deserve someone that treats you with respect.)
High school is when we learn. Gain knowledge from mistakes, yet it's okay to make them. We're young. You can't learn from something without experiencing it yourself. When you are a father, and so-called "successful", Isn't it time you learn? He drinks all the time. Or DRANK. It doesn't matter. He's at an age where he knows right from wrong. I don't care if an underage girls litterally throws herself at him when she's drinking.
HE KNOWS VERY WELL WHAT HE'S DOING! AND HE DID IT ANYWAYS! OVER AND OVER AND OVER.
Criminal record...(yet he still can't face the consequences. I say..man up. Take some responsibility.
so let's take a look...
multiple rape
multiple sexual assaults
child abandonment
DWI DWI DWI (x23987423987)
cocaine
exstacy
ghb
domestic violence
providing alcohol to minors
forcing 16 year old drunk girls to drive
drugging young girls (minors)
...not even the half of it.
And for, "Does it matter"...please go read a book. First of all, high school girls DO in fact have a life...and you've got to get in touch with reality. Because there is not one girl that would falsly accuse her best friends' father of sexual assault, or rape. Not to mention, you clearly are in the dark about this whole situation, because the person whom reported the rape incident, still remains anonymous. Oh right, and don't forget... Mike did use threats if the truth ever got out. Along with you're intelligence, reporters are not investigators. Investigators are investigators. Reporters are reporters. And about these adult witnesses whom you say were there... they must have let big mike off his leash when he raped the girl, also, when these multiple cases of sexual assault took place. Also..since big strong mike hasn't cracked yet, or "fallen off the deep end," why don't we just give him a big gold star? Since, i mean, rapists should be congratulated for not raping and assaulting any more victims, right?...You've got to be kidding me.
If you have a comment that you believe is really worth posting, please have reasons and evidence to back up your statements.
As for the victims, we're heroes. Believe it or not.

Mike...A little honesty wouldn't kill you. Admit it. Maybe at least you'll gain some respect.
His daughters are all beautiful, strong girls. I hope you can all come out of this strongly. You whole lives you've had to put up with his constant drama, abandonment, and manipulation. I can confidently tell you that your future will be much brighter than your past, so long as you don't have him around. He's a man with money and a house. Not a father, those have love, care, support, dicipline, encouragement, and bravery.
Sadly this is very true, even a nicer version, actually, of reality.
And for the supporters out there, who know the truth, GOD BLESS YOU!