A Hitterdal man is facing charges after allegedly having sexual contact with a young girl while bathing with her. 36 year old Anthony Baumgartner, is charged with second-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a victim under 13, according to a complaint filed in Clay County District Court. The Clay County Sheriff’s Office began investigating in November 2024 after a report from social services about conduct that allegedly happened in 2019 or 2020 at a home in Hitterdal. Investigators say Baumgartner was in a relationship with the child’s mother and lived in the home, where he frequently cared for the child. In a later forensic interview, the child described inappropriate contact that happened while the two were in a bathtub together, the complaint states. The child’s mother told authorities her daughter had disclosed the incident about a year earlier and said Baumgartner often bathed the child while the mother was at work. Detectives interviewed Baumgartner in March 2026. According to the complaint, he admitted sharing baths with the child several times and acknowledged there was an incident in which the child made physical contact with him, but he disputed parts of the account and said he did not intend for it to happen.Second-degree criminal sexual conduct carries a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison and a $30,000 fine.