‘Come all the way outside … I’m the only one doing something illegal here’: Rochester search warrants show alleged chat logs between former deputy, undercover officer pretending to be minor
Mathew Adamson / Mower County Jail Roster, Dec. 6, 2023
(ABC 6 News) – A new Rochester, MN search warrant shows chat logs used to charge former Olmsted County deputy Mathew Adamson with solicitation of a minor, sexting with a minor and an attempt to engage a minor in prostitution.
Adamson was recently charged with possession of child pornography and interference with privacy after allegedly placing hidden cameras in bathrooms to take illicit photos of women and children, as well as saving nude images of Olmsted County detainees from Adult Detention Center cameras.
The latest search warrant concerns RPD’s initial child solicitation sting, Adamson’s arrest, and a request to access the former jail staffer’s car, electronic devices, and locker at the ADC.
According to the search warrant, publicly filed Monday, the RPD undercover officer created a post on “Whisper,” a mobile app that broadcasts short messages to other users in a specific area.
The post read “Running away… Any advice?”
The search warrant alleged that people who prey on minors often target runaway children.
According to the warrant, the undercover officer communicated with a man using the name “Geek_Crayon” who was within four miles of Apache Mall.
At the same time, a special agent with the MN BCA communicated with the same user, and allegedly received photos of “Geek_Crayon.”
According to the search warrant, Rochester police recognized “Geek_Crayon” as Mathew Adamson, a detention corporal with the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office.
The Rochester undercover officer’s chat log, reproduced in the search warrant, uses Adamson’s name to denote the messages he allegedly sent.
The search warrant states that “Geek_Crayon,” Adamson’s alleged user profile, made his own Whisper post offering to buy cigarettes and alcohol — presumably for minors, who could not purchase their own.
When the undercover agent inquired about the price of alcohol, Adamson allegedly said he “usually” exchanged alcohol and “cigs” for other services — then listed a few sex acts.
According to the chat logs, Adamson allegedly negotiated with the undercover officer to provide White Claws in exchange for a sex act and partially nude photos of the “child.”
The two allegedly arranged to meet at Apache Mall after 6 p.m. Nov. 2, at which time Rochester police arranged to plan of arrest using an undercover office pretending to be a 13-year-old, the MN BCA, and plain-clothes Criminal Investigations Unit officers.
According to the search warrant, the user alleged to be Adamson did not send a photo of himself to the RPD officer — but the BCA agent chatting with “Geek_Crayon” separately had received a photo of Adamson’s law-enforcement-style on-duty boots and the Olmsted County Court rooms’ carpet and wood molding, indicating that Adamson was at work.
As the RPD officer drove to the mall with the undercover agent pretending to be the juvenile, he allegedly told Adamson to use the name “Kaylee” to signal the child.
The undercover officer pretending to be Kaylee allegedly made herself visible to Adamson in the doorway of Barnes and Noble, then walked toward the curb where Adamson pulled up and called out the provided name.
Detectives with RPD and BCA agents immediately pulled up to the curb and blocked Adamson in, taking him into custody without incident, according to the search warrant.
Adamson’s next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 24, 2024. He will appear on the three charges stemming from the early November sting operation, as well as the additional eight charges from his early December re-arrest.
Adamson was released from the Mower County Jail last week on $10,000 bail with conditions.