Grand Marais church youth leader arrested for coercion and sexual conduct with a minor

A Grand Marais church youth leader has been arrested and charged with two felonies and a misdemeanor for coercion, engaging in sexual conduct with a child, and false imprisonment.

Micah David Avery, 30, of Hovland, Minn., was arrested on Jan. 20 by the Cook County Sheriff’s Office. Avery is a former Cook County probation officer and employee at a local hardware store.

Avery’s arrest follows reports received by the Cook County Sheriff’s Office on Jan. 11 and Jan. 12 about concerning text message exchanges between a 30-year-old male church youth group leader and two minor female parishioners.

According to the criminal complaint, one of the female minors, a 15-year-old, told the Cook County Sheriff’s Office Investigator that a friendship had developed with Avery as a youth church leader after seeking guidance regarding personal matters. The allegations from the minor state that Avery expressed increasing interest in her, which made her feel uncomfortable. She told the investigator that she tried to “brush her feelings off” because he was a church youth leader and she “believed him to be a trustworthy person.”

The female minor stated that in October 2025, the messages and interactions with Avery became more “weird and unusual.”

Upon review of text message exchanges, the Cook County Investigator identified multiple instances in October in which the minor and Avery exchanged messages discussing physical contact and referencing touching. The messages also included a discussion of deleting the communications if law enforcement were contacted.

According to the complaint, the female said on Oct. 13, 2025, Avery rubbed her back and placed his hand under her shirt while they were sitting inside his vehicle. The complaint states the minor reported additional physical contact, including being hugged and restrained, while inside Avery’s vehicle.

After Avery’s arrest, the Cook County Investigator interviewed him about the October 2025 interactions. Avery told the investigator that he had known the female minor “forever” and that he had kissed her on the cheek while in his vehicle. He stated that it was an accident that the female minor’s shirt came up while he was rubbing her back and hugging her.

The minor continued contact with Avery throughout the remainder of 2025, according to the complaint, but on Jan. 8 decided to stop communication with Avery.

The complaint states that after contact ceased, the minor received multiple text messages from Avery allegedly threatening to reveal to her parents information she had disclosed to him.

The complaint also outlines additional interactions between Avery and the female minor, including interactions between the minor’s mother. The minor’s mother stated to the investigator that she was aware of text message exchanges prior to October 2025 and had told Avery to “back off” and stop messaging her daughter so much.  According to the complaint, the mother allowed contact to continue because her daughter was dealing with the recent loss of family members and wanted her daughter to seek guidance with a youth church leader.

Avery was released from the Cook County Sheriff’s Office after posting bail on Jan. 21. Avery’s next court appearance is a remote hearing scheduled for Feb. 2.

WTIP is working to verify which Grand Marais church Avery was a member of.

Kalli Hawkins January 31, 2026