Man pleads not guilty in child molestation case

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FARGO (AP) - A former Fargo YMCA worker has pleaded not guilty to five felony charges accusing him of molesting or trying to molest young girls in his care.

Jatten Heinen, 20, of Wahpeton, is accused of touching the children either on a bus or while seated during "chill time" at the YMCA day care in Fargo last year. He faces four counts of gross sexual imposition and one count of attempted gross sexual imposition.

Authorities say the charges involve four girls who were between the ages of 6 and 8 at the time. They said Heinen was living in Fargo then.

Heinen was released from jail in October, after posting $50,000 bail. His trial is tentatively set for August.

Prosecutors unsuccessfully tried to revoke his bail in February, saying a sting operation led to Heinen agreeing to photograph a 6-year-old girl. He is barred from having any contact with children as a condition of his bail.

Heinen had worked at the YMCA for about a year and had passed a background check before being hired, said Paul Finstad, the chief executive officer of the Fargo-Moorhead Family YMCA.

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