Duluth man gets prison for sexual conduct against young church-goers

DULUTH – Clint Franklin Massie took a deep breath and cleared his throat, then in a quiet, raspy voice apologized and asked his victims for forgiveness — overtures that came too late, according to St. Louis County District Judge Eric Hylden.

Massie, 50, was sentenced to nearly eight years in prison Thursday afternoon after pleading guilty to four counts of criminal sexual conduct in late 2024. Each of the crimes he admitted to were committed more than a decade ago and involved young girls from his close-knit circle within the Old Apostolic Lutheran Church of Duluth.

After pleading guilty in December, Massie was able to leave the courthouse with his wife to wait for his sentencing, free on $300,000 bail. In mid-February, he was back in St. Louis County jail, where he has remained, after violating the terms of his release.

Massie had gotten permission to attend a family funeral in Washington, assuring his probation officer that he wouldn’t be around children. Afterward, at least one person contacted officials to say that Massie had been seen coming down stairs from a playroom full of children and had patted one on the head.

This monthslong span is when Massie should have been making amends and completing evaluations ordered by the court, Hylden said.

“The chance to act was between your plea and today,” he said.

Massie’s attorney, David McCormick, who submitted a motion for a downward departure in sentencing, described his client as someone who would benefit from one-on-one counseling to treat his sexual deviancy, rather than in the “hell hole” of prison.

Massie is a changed man, McCormick said, adding: “Sometimes it takes a few whacks on the head.”

But Hylden pointed to a phone call Massie made to his wife, Sarah, from the St. Louis County jail after his trip to Washington. According to court filings, Massie told her to find out who had called his probation officer. Massie said he had a guess about who it was and told his wife to get a message to the woman to “grow up.”

“As soon as I get out of here,” Massie said in the call, “I’m going to start making demands.”

Hylden said the phone call troubled him.

“It doesn’t seem like you were at a place where you were ready to be responsible and accept accountability,” he said.

Massie’s surprise guilty plea came in the minutes before his trial was scheduled to begin while the newly selected jury waited in the wings. Several women with similar accusations against him had flown in from out of state to serve as witnesses or watch the proceedings. After his plea, assistant St. Louis County Attorney Michael Ryan questioned Massie on the victims’ accusations — four times when he had touched girls, both when they were alone and in a room full of people.

He hid his actions beneath a blanket.

At the time, despite pleading guilty, Massie hedged. He claimed he didn’t remember exact details or his motives. In each instance, he eventually agreed that he had done what he was accused of.

In court filings, the state pushed for the presumptive sentence that Massie was ultimately given. Ryan characterized the defendant’s guilty plea as reluctant and “riddled with qualifications.”

On Thursday, a representative from St. Louis County read two victim-impact statements, both describing the ripple effects of Massie’s actions and his unwillingness to take responsibility. His arrogance, one wrote, has made closure difficult. Ryan read a community-impact statement from advocate and former church member Tonya Peldo, who said the women were “stripped of safety and robbed of their voices.”

Peldo called it a “communitywide crisis” and said the same church that defended Massie turned on the women who accused him.

At one point during the sentencing, 51 were people tuned in virtually — a mix of both Massie’s accusers and supporters. He had nearly a dozen backers in the courtroom, some who had issued letters to the court describing him as big-hearted, uplifting and fun, and a contributing member of the church.

“The devil has so much power in this situation,” his sister-in-law Susan Erickson wrote. “And is doing his best to divide our family and church members.”

Massie, who kept his head low during most of the sentencing, was taken back into custody, turning back one time at the door to seemingly look at his wife.

“This outcome was possible because of the women who couldn’t and wouldn’t forget, and it is a victory over the forces that worked to keep them silent,” Ryan said. “I am relieved and happy for all who stayed the course.”