A Shoreview man convicted of sexual assault and kidnapping as part of his plan to force a 15-year-old girl to marry him has been sentenced and could be free in about three years.
Kong M. Xiong, 22, was sentenced last week in Ramsey County District Court to a five-year term. With credit for time served, Xiong could be let out of prison in July 2018 and serve the remainder of his time on supervised release.
According to the charges:
On March 28 in St. Paul, Xiong dragged the girl into his car and drove off in an attempt to force her into marrying him in accordance with traditional Hmong marriage customs. "You will never see your parents again!" Xiong told the girl as he drove to his home.
The girl's family reported her kidnapping to St. Paul police. The girl's older brothers drove to Xiong's home, and the girl was released.
Xiong's parents wanted the two to marry in the Hmong tradition, but the girl's parents did not, the charges said.
The girl told police that she and Xiong started seeing each other in January, and that they had sex when she was 14.
In 2009, Xiong pleaded guilty in juvenile court to first-degree criminal sexual conduct for assaulting a 13-year-old girl. He was 15 at the time of the plea.
