Cognitively Impaired Church Volunteer Accused of Child Sex Abuse

Apr 14

A Saint Paul man is accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting four children under the age of seven during his time as a church volunteer in Roseville.

Joshua Alirio Seeman, 50, is charged with two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct, all involving alleged penetration or sexual contact with children under the age of 14.

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Authorities say the offenses occurred between Feb. 1 and April 6, 2025, while Seeman was volunteering at a Sunday School program at King of Kings Lutheran Church at 2330 Dale Street North.

THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS DESCRIPTIONS OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE. DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

The investigation began on April 6 when a father of one of the alleged victims contacted police to report that his five-year-old son said his “butt hurt” after returning home from Sunday School, court documents say. The child told his mother that Seeman had taken him to the bathroom and then stuck his fingers—and at times, toilet paper—into his rectum. The child said it had happened multiple times. Medical staff later evaluated the child and documented concerns with the reported abuse.

A former assistant pastor at King of Kings Lutheran Church told police he was informed by the parents of the first victim about the alleged abuse by Seeman, a church volunteer. The pastor then alerted his family, who are active in the church, and learned that his granddaughter—who is a Sunday School teacher—had seen Seeman take other children to the bathroom, including entering the boys’ restroom in one instance.

Police were then notified of three additional victims.

After the former assistant pastor told his family that Seeman had been seen entering the boys’ bathroom, relatives of another alleged victim began discussing “right” and “wrong” behavior with their 6-year-old son. During that conversation, the boy told his mother that “Mr. Josh” had made him pull down his pants inside a locked bathroom stall and touched his penis and buttocks. The child reportedly broke down crying during the conversation and later became distraught during an exam when asked to describe what had happened.

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The Sunday School teacher, who is the niece of the mother of the third and fourth victims, alerted her on April 6 after seeing Seeman take her daughter and another child into the boys’ bathroom that day.

The mother later asked the child about “Mr. Josh,” who disclosed that two Sundays earlier, Seeman used his fingers to touch her “pai-pai,” the Hmong word for vagina. The girl said Seeman would not allow her or another child to close the bathroom stall doors while they used the toilet and watched them. She disclosed that he also touched the inside of her vagina.

The mother also asked her four-year-old boy who takes him to the bathroom. He replied, saying that saying that “Mr. Josh” takes him, and would pull down his pants and touch his “wee-wee” and buttocks. The boy then became emotional and said he forgot what else happened.

Family members of each of the alleged victims provided police with text messages Seeman had sent offering to babysit the children and take them to dinner or bowling. One message came just a day before one of the reported assaults. Several parents told investigators that Seeman had been persistently contacting them on Facebook and through text messages in the weeks leading up to the alleged abuse.

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Court documents say Seeman has a long history of sexually inappropriate behavior dating back more than two decades, including multiple allegations of sexual assault against vulnerable adults in 2001, 2006, 2014, 2015 and 2022. Prosecutors in those cases declined to charge Seeman, citing his cognitive disabilities.

In a 2022 incident, Seeman was accused of luring a vulnerable adult into a park bathroom and sexually assaulting her, court documents said. He was charged with fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct but has been deemed incompetent to stand trial multiple times. The case remains pending in court.

Seeman was arrested on April 10 and remains in custody at the Ramsey County Law Enforcement Center. His brother, who is also his legal guardian, told police that Seeman would not be giving a statement and planned to consult with an attorney.

Authorities have asked the court to keep Seeman in custody until arrangements can be made that prevent him from having contact with other vulnerable adults and children.

MN CRIME requested comment from King of Kings, seeking more information including whether Seeman is still a volunteer or involved with the church in any way, if the church was aware of his previous incidents and if their volunteer process requires any form of background check. As of Tuesday evening, we have not received a response.

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