ORHEAD – A Moorhead Iraq war veteran accused of molesting a 15-year-old girl during what he claimed was a blackout brought on by his post-traumatic stress disorder sustained during service has pleaded guilty in the case.
Court records say Paul Martin Richard Houle, 34, pleaded guilty in Clay County District Court Thursday to one count of fifth-degree nonconsensual sexual contact, a gross misdemeanor.
Court documents say after the victim in the case ran to tell another adult what had happened to her, police arrived to find Houle standing in the backyard holding a gun.
He told officers he didn’t recall anything beyond going to bed after drinking and awakening during an episode of PTSD, grabbing his gun and running for cover.
His sentencing is set for Feb. 27.
