Former Youth Minister Charged With Felony Criminal Sexual Conduct Involving 17-Year-Old
Published: September 28th, 2026.
SHAKOPEE, MINNESOTA: A former youth minister at a Burnsville church, Pentecost Fire Assembly of God, has been charged with felony fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct after prosecutors allege he had inappropriate sexual contact with a 17-year-old girl who attended the church and repeatedly asked her to send him nude photographs.
David Boamah Danso, 35, of Shakopee, is charged in Scott County District Court with one count of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a complainant who was at least 16 but younger than 18 and an alleged offender who was more than 36 months older and held a current or recent position of authority over the complainant. The charge carries a maximum possible sentence of 10 years in prison, a $20,000 fine, or both. A criminal charge is an allegation, and Danso is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
According to court records, Danso's first appearance is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. November 20, 2026, before Judge Cynthia L. McCollum. The hearing is currently listed as a remote Zoom hearing. No booking photograph was available as of Sunday because Danso has not yet made his first court appearance.
Investigation Began With Report to Shakopee Police
According to the criminal complaint, a juvenile girl and her parents went to the Shakopee Police Department on March 29, 2026, to report an alleged sexual conduct incident that occurred in February 2026.
The complaint identifies the girl only as "Victim." Limitless Media is withholding any additional information that could identify her because she is a juvenile and the alleged victim of a sexual offense. Investigators allege the girl attended Pentecost Fire Assembly of God with her family in Burnsville, where Danso served as her youth minister.
According to the complaint, the girl told investigators that her youth minister asked for her phone number in May 2024. After they exchanged numbers, the two began communicating daily. The girl alleged that Danso eventually told her she was "cute" and that he loved her. Their communications reportedly stopped for a period before resuming around November 2025. According to the complaint, Danso then began asking the girl for explicit photographs of herself. The girl told investigators she was nervous about doing so because she knew Danso was married and in his 30s. Prosecutors allege she eventually sent the images after Danso continued asking for them.
Alleged Contact During February Trip to Barbershop
The criminal charge centers on an alleged incident on February 7, 2026. According to the complaint, Danso asked the girl to accompany him to get a haircut. He allegedly picked her up at her parents' home in Shakopee and drove toward a barbershop also located in Shakopee. The girl told investigators that while they were traveling to the barbershop, Danso placed his hand on the inside of her thigh, directly against her skin. She allegedly told him to stop and said she did not like it.
Prosecutors allege Danso then placed a hand on her shoulder, moved his hand inside her shirt, and touched her bare breast. The girl told investigators she grabbed his hand, again told him she did not like what he was doing, and moved his hand away. According to the complaint, she told police she did not consent to the touching.
The complaint states the two did not have further in-person contact after the trip but continued communicating until several weeks before the March police report.
Case Moved Between Burnsville and Shakopee Police
The case was initially sent to the Burnsville Police Department because preliminary information suggested the alleged sexual contact occurred in Burnsville. Burnsville investigators later determined that the barbershop was in Savage and mapped several likely routes between the girl's Shakopee home and the business. According to the complaint, the three shortest and most likely routes were entirely within Scott County and did not pass through Burnsville.
Investigators also determined that the girl allegedly sent the explicit images while she was at her home in Shakopee. The case was subsequently returned to Shakopee police based on jurisdiction, according to the complaint.
On April 10th, a Shakopee detective took custody of the girl's cellphone, and investigators obtained a warrant to conduct a forensic examination of the device five days later.
Police Say Messages Corroborated Portions of Girl's Account
According to the complaint, investigators recovered WhatsApp messages between Danso and the girl that prosecutors say corroborated portions of her account. In one exchange described in the complaint, Danso allegedly asked the girl to send him an explicit picture. Shakopee police later obtained a search warrant for Danso's residence. On April 29th, officers executed the warrant and seized several electronic devices.
Investigators reported finding numerous communication and social media applications on the devices, including WhatsApp, Snapchat, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, Discord, Chatify and Instagram. According to the complaint, investigators found multiple messages in which Danso allegedly requested photographs, including explicit images, and appeared to pressure the girl to send them and not delete them.
Investigators also documented a conversation that allegedly discussed what could happen if Danso and the girl had sex. Police made screen recordings of portions of the conversations and entered them into evidence, according to the complaint.
Complaint Describes Message Acknowledging Explicit Photos
Investigators also found a message Danso allegedly sent to another person in which he appeared to acknowledge receiving explicit photographs from the girl. According to the criminal complaint, the message stated in part that he had "made a mistake" by allowing a 17-year-old minor to send him explicit photographs and that the matter had gone to police. The message also allegedly asked the recipient to pray that he would not go to jail.
The complaint states Danso later messaged the same number and said the police case had been closed and he had not been arrested. The complaint describes those statements as messages investigators recovered and does not constitute a guilty plea or judicial finding.
Family Later Told Police They Did Not Want Charges Pursued
Shortly after police searched Danso's residence, the girl's mother contacted Shakopee police and said the family no longer wanted to pursue criminal charges, according to the complaint. The mother reportedly told investigators that the family had met with Danso and other members of the church. According to the complaint, she said Danso had been disciplined by the church and apologized, and the family was "at peace over it."
A detective subsequently spoke with Danso's wife, who reportedly confirmed that she and Danso had met with church leaders, community leaders and the girl's family and that the parties had reached what she described as a mutual agreement.
Police continued investigating the allegations despite the family's stated wishes. Investigators conducted follow-up work on June 2nd and July 1st. The complaint states investigators learned that Danso was no longer working as a pastor and that other church members corroborated that a meeting had occurred involving the girl's family, Danso and church leaders.
Church Member Says Danso was Relieved of Youth Ministry Duties
Separately, an anonymous source who identified themselves as a church member told Limitless Media that Danso was relieved of his duties as youth minister around May 10th. The source said that when members of the congregation asked about the situation, they were reportedly told Danso had been allowed to return to Ghana but remained a pastor with the church and would eventually return. The source also described Danso as the son-in-law of a head pastor.
Limitless Media has not independently verified those claims, and they are not allegations contained in the criminal complaint. The complaint itself states that investigators learned during follow-up work that Danso was no longer working as a pastor.
The criminal complaint does not indicate that any other juvenile has accused Danso of similar conduct. According to the complaint, Danso's wife told investigators she was unaware of any other incidents involving Danso and juvenile girls.
Danso's first appearance is scheduled for November 20, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. in Scott County District Court.
The allegations contained in a criminal complaint are accusations and are not evidence of guilt. Danso is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
