A Secret Set Free: How Hannah LoPresto Became a Champion for Children | 2026 documentary

This WCCO Original documentary follows the journey of a young Minnesota woman who found the courage to speak out. Hannah LoPresto says she was groomed and sexually assaulted by her high school band director. When charges were turned down, she made a choice: instead of carrying shame alone, she worked with a detective to find the gaps in the law. Along the way, Hannah meets a lawmaker with a strikingly similar story from decades earlier. Together, they take on mandatory reporting law and work toward closing loopholes in child abuse protection. They put everything on the line to protect kids anywhere a trusted adult can gain access to a child. This is the story of a victim-survivor who refused to let her case end in silence, and instead helped change the law for every child in Minnesota. 0:00 – Introduction: "I Am a Victim Survivor" 2:51 – Hannah LoPresto’s Grooming Case 8:07 – The Investigation and the Fight for Charges 12:20 – The Push to Make Grooming a Felony 21:08 – Turning Hannah’s Story Into a Bill 32:07 – A Historic Vote on the Minnesota House Floor 41:27 – Bill Passes the Minnesota Senate 48:09 – Governor Tim Walz Signs the Grooming Law #grooming #documentary #minnesota Watch our previous reporting:    • Grooming: WCCO Investigates