MINOT — A jury deliberated for just 16 minutes at the Ward County Courthouse last week before finding a Minot man guilty of two counts of conspiracy to commit gross sexual imposition against residents of a long-term care facility there last year.

Dalton Hattem, 34, was charged in March after an investigation revealed he coordinated with his wife to exploit residents, "who were unable to protect themselves due to age, illness, and cognitive impairment," according to a release from the North Dakota Attorney General's office. Hattem's wife, 33-year-old Amber Hattem, was charged separately with gross sexual imposition and indecent exposure in the case.

During the four-day trial, evidence presented by state prosecutors included "disturbing communication," including explicit messages and video

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