Charges: Man raped 21-year-old in Forest Lake home as 3 women held her down

A 39-year-old predatory offender living in a Twin Cities suburb repeatedly raped and assaulted a 21-year-old woman in a townhouse basement as three other women helped restrain her, according to charges.

Lawson T. Waples Ward, of Forest Lake, was charged in Washington County District Court with two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in connection with the assaults over a two-hour period at the home in the 21000 block of Bridle Pass Drive.

Waples Ward and his alleged accomplices were all arrested Dec. 20 at the home. He was released a few days later in lieu of $20,000 bail. The County Attorney's Office said the three women, ages, 27, 29 and 51, could be charged this week. The Star Tribune generally does not identify suspects before they are charged.

Waples Ward is due back in court on Thursday. Court records do not list an attorney for him, and contact information was not immediately available Monday afternoon.

On Friday, prosecutors asked the court to have Waples Ward jailed again, this time in lieu of $750,000 bail. They cited, among other things, that he is a "noncompliant predatory offender" from New Jersey.

His criminal history in New Jersey includes at least one conviction for a sex offense, illegal weapons possession and robbery.

According to the criminal complaint: The 21-year-old woman told police that she visited Waples Ward's home on Nov. 16, and he began engaging in sexual activity with her in the basement. Although she was uncomfortable, she said she did not tell him no.

The three women soon entered the basement. The 21-year-old said she was uncomfortable with the activity while the others were present and wanted the interaction to stop.

Instead, the three women held the young woman by her arms and legs while Waples Ward assaulted her as she screamed for him to stop. Waples Ward hit her with his hand and a paddle before one of his accomplices continued the sexual assault.

At one point, Waples Ward "asked her who her master was," the complaint read.

The 21-year-old said that Waples Ward enjoyed sexual bondage and sadomasochism, and that he considered his three accomplices to be his girlfriends. She said she did not enjoy those forms of sex.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482