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February 24, 2012 THISWEEK
Farmington man charged with sexually assaulting minor
Lakeville student thespians honored for StarKid participation by Mike Ricci
Police: Adam Bentz warned girl not to tell
by Laura Adelmann Thisweek Newspapers
A Farmington man is charged with three felonies for repeated sexual assault of a minor girl. Adam Walter Bentz, 35, allegedly put his hand down the girl’s shirt and played with her breast at least four times.
Police say he also masturbated in front of the child and touched her sexually at least two times. A Dakota County Attorney’s Office criminal complaint also alleges Bentz touched the girl over her shorts two or three times and on one of those occasions penetrated her
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vagina with his finger. Bentz allegedly told the victim “many times” not to tell anyone about the abuse because he will get in big trouble. Farmington police stated Bentz and the victim frequently sent text messages to each other, and between Jan. 17 and Feb. 8, officers captured several conversations of a sexual nature. The complaint states that police began to stand in for the victim in the text conversations, and Bentz encouraged the girl to try masturbating. The complaint says Bentz warned the girl not to tell anyone and if she does he would “go to jail for a long time.” Police say Bentz returned from his job as a truck driver Feb. 11 and while he was speaking to police, admitted to touching the victim’s breasts over her clothing and sending her the text messages. Bentz is charged with criminal sexual conduct in the first and second degree and communication of sexually explicit material to children. Laura Adelmann is at laura. adelmann@ecm-inc.com.
From their school’s theater to the big stage, five Lakeville students were afforded a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase their talent. The students were honored at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres recently for their participation in CDT’s StarKid program, which recognizes students for excellence in musical theater. As a part of the honor, the students were given the opportunity to briefly perform in CDT’s current version of the musical classic “Hairspray,” and the program ran through all of November 2011 and January 2012. In that time the theater honored a total of 100 student actors statewide. The students attend Lakeville North and Lakeville South high schools, as well as the St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists. The students selected for the program were Briley Fenimore, Hannah Johnson, McCall Halliday, Brendon Jones and Andrew Kohagen. According to Kris Howland, public relations director for CDT, theater experts at each school were asked to select the students. “As part of their experience, the students received lines to memorize, were given dressing rooms, and an
opportunity to work with cast members to learn choreography before experiencing an actual walk-on role in ‘Hairspray,’ ” she said. Howland said the honor is not ceremonial in nature, but rather it is an opportunity for theater students to participate in a professional production. “Each StarKid received the rare opportunity to meet with the dance captain for a private choreography lesson for the show,” Howland said. Briley Fenimore, a senior at LNHS, was in eighth grade when his interest in theater first became apparent to him. He recalled his first time ever on stage. “I think it would have been my sophomore year in high school in ‘Hello Dolly,’ ” Fenimore said. “It definitely started my love for theater.” Since, Fenimore has sustained his activity in theater at Lakeville North, and he intends to continue performing through college and beyond, but will do without a career in the industry. Choir director Paul Wigley nominated the senior. Fenimore said it took about 45 minutes to prepare for and perform on the stage. “We each had one line to memorize, and when we got there, we were taught
a couple short dance steps and then we went on stage,” Fenimore said. “It was really exciting for me personally. It was just really cool to kind of go behind the scenes of a pro theater. It was really good learning experience.” Fellow LNHS senior Hannah Johnson said the performers at the dinner theater may not be household names but they are certainly famous to her. “It was really cool,” she said. “I would like to be at their level.” Johnson’s appearance on the professional stage occurred Nov. 29, with some perks. “We also got shown around and got to meet a few of the actors,” she said. Like Fenimore, Johnson, 17, said her future include performing. “I would like to continue,” she said, “but right now I am interested in a career in the medical field.” The Lakeville senior first took to performing three years ago, and she said that community theater is an area of interest she would like to continue. She said her bucket list includes performing on Broadway. Mike Ricci is at www.facebook.com/thisweeklive.
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