A St. Paul man charged last spring with sexually assaulting four young children while volunteering at a local church was ruled incompetent to stand trial.
Joshua Alirio Seeman, 50, volunteered in the extended care program at King of Kings Lutheran Church and School in Roseville, Minn.
Court records indicate a judge made the determination following a hearing on Friday, Feb. 20. The finding stems from evaluations of Seeman’s cognitive disability, a factor that has repeatedly prevented criminal prosecution of similar allegations against him dating back more than two decades.
Seeman faces two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct in the latest case. The charges involve four victims, ages 4 to 6 at the time.
According to the criminal complaint, the incidents occurred in bathroom stalls at the church between February and early April 2025.
Court records indicate Seeman may be transferred from the Ramsey County Adult Detention Center to a locked treatment facility operated by the Minnesota State Sex Offender Program. Records state that, should Seeman be released from that program at any point, he is to be returned to custody at the Ramsey County facility.
This outcome mirrors past cases involving Seeman’s documented history of sexual assault allegations in 2001, 2006, 2014, 2015, and 2022.
“Prosecution on all but one prior case has been declined due to Seeman’s cognitive disability. Multiple attempts have been made to get Seeman help for his sexual acting out, but his deviant behavior continues,” the criminal complaint says.
Ramsey County Attorney John Choi said in a court document that he intends to prosecute the case “when the defendant has restored to competency.”
King of Kings Lutheran Church said families were “severely shaken” in statements released shortly after the initial charges surfaced last year.
Church leaders confirmed in an email after the incident that Seeman had undergone a background check in 2021 and completed mandatory sexual abuse awareness training in 2023 as part of standard volunteer protocols. Following the allegations, the church obtained a restraining order prohibiting Seeman from entering church or school property or contacting the affected families.
Hayley Feland
Hayley Feland previously worked as a journalist with The Minnesota Sun, The Wisconsin Daily Star, and The College Fix. She is a Minnesota native with a passion for politics and journalism.
