DNA ties inmate to 3 more sexual assaults

ST. PAUL- A 41-year-old man already in prison for the sexual assault of a young girl is now accused in three sexual assaults in St. Paul from the 1990s.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports that Investigators connected the cases by using DNA samples.

Court documents say Lavern Robert Spann, previously of St. Paul, started sexually assaulting his girlfriend's 7-year-old daughter around 1995. She reported it to police in 2004, and he was convicted in 2005.

Spann was charged last week with first-degree criminal sexual conduct in cases from 1993 and 1995. He faces a third-degree criminal sexual conduct charge for another 1993 case.

St. Paul police Sgt. Paul Schnell says police are reviewing whether he's involved in even more cases.

Before the new criminal charges, Spann's anticipated release from prison was 2012.

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