NEW ULM — A 31-year-old former Cloquet junior hockey coach stuck in an beginner intercourse sting in July is not going to face fees in Brown County District Court for soliciting youngster boys on-line for intercourse.
Amateur undercover brokers lured Brandon Phelps to Sleepy Eye in July to allegedly catch up with a 16-year-old boy.
Brown County Attorney Chuck Hanson mentioned video proof equipped by means of The Midwest Predator Catchers (MPC) does no longer point out the coach dedicated a criminal offense since the particular person he communicated with (by means of textual content message) used to be presumed to be 16.
Minnesota Statute 609.352 Subdivision 1(a) defines “child” as an individual 15 years of age or more youthful.
“The person whom (the coach) corresponded with was an adult who said he was 16. The definition of a child is 15 years old or younger,” Hanson mentioned. “They (MPC) weren’t posing as someone who would be illegal to talk to about sex.”
The coach used to be fired from the Cloquet hockey crew after his disagreement at the Sleepy Eye Lake path with the Midwest Predator Catchers used to be posted in an internet video with screenshots of textual content messages.
The MPC posted that they created a company to catch sexual predators with the purpose of defending the group from those that prey on youngsters.
Hanson and New Ulm Police Senior Investigator Jeff Hohensee mentioned they’re involved for the protection of the MPC and the folks they confront.
MPC has performed different intercourse stings within the space.
On Aug. 1, 2022, the MPC, described as 3 witnesses in Blue Earth County courtroom paperwork, mentioned they faced Brandon R. Peterson, 26, of Mankato on the Mankato Walmart retailer, claiming he used to be there to satisfy a 14-year-old lady for intercourse.
Peterson admitted to police that he believed the person used to be 14 years outdated and he used to be serious about assembly the person, in line with courtroom paperwork. Peterson later equipped his mobile phone to police who learn thru it and spotted sexual messages despatched to a feminine named “Layla.”
The witnesses informed police they created a pretend account on a relationship software, Peterson messaged the account and the messages persevered on Snapchat. The witnesses mentioned their age used to be 14 prior to they did a “sting” on the retailer when Peterson arrived.
Peterson used to be charged with criminal counts of enticing in digital communique pertaining to or describing sexual habits with kid and criminal distributing by way of digital communique subject matter that relates/describes sexual habits to a kid on Aug. 2, 2022 in Blue Earth County District Court.