UPDATE: Faribault sex offender’s Olmsted County child solicitation, CSC cases move forward

(ABC 6 News) – A Faribault predatory offender accused of soliciting and having sex with a Byron juvenile faces additional charges after the Byron juvenile allegedly shed light on a second, online relationship.

Ruben Anthony Michael Cortez, 29, faced charges of conducting a sexual relationship with a Byron teenager under age 16, filming and disseminating videos of a sex act with the juvenile, and attempting to solicit another teenager over Snapchat.

In a second court case, he faces charges of soliciting a South Dakota child under age 14, two counts of sexual communication with the child, and using a minor under age 14 in a sexual performance or pornographic work.

According to court documents, Cortez allegedly knew the South Dakota child was a minor according to chat logs, but asked the child for sexual photos and attempted to solicit money from other adult men in exchange for sexual photos of the child.

Cortez’s next appearance in Olmsted County Court is scheduled for May 31, 2023.

(ABC 6 News) – A Faribault predatory offender faces new Olmsted County charges of criminal sexual conduct involving a minor, soliciting a child for sexual conduct, and using a minor in a sexual performance or pornographic work.

Ruben Anthony Michael Cortez, 29, is accused of forming a sexual relationship with a Byron teenager under age 16, filming and disseminating videos of a sex act with the juvenile, and attempting to solicit another teenager over Snapchat.

According to court documents, the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office reported to Salem Township, Byron, in October of 2022, where a mother had located a cell phone her juvenile daughter said came from her “19-year-old boyfriend,” which she used to Snapchat him.

The juvenile said the “boyfriend” insisted on taking videos of the two having sex, even though she did not want him to.

The mother allegedly identified the “19-year-old boyfriend” as 29-year-old Cortez by comparing his photo on Snapchat to photos on the Minnesota Department of Corrections’ website.

According to court documents, the juvenile victim told law enforcement that she met Cortez over Snapchat, and that he sent explicit videos to her.

According to court documents, Cortez admitted to sending videos to the two juvenile girls, and to having sex with the Byron teenager.

Cortez pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography in Waseca County Court, in August of 2015, according to court records. Another charge of disseminating child pornography was dismissed.

Cortez was required to register as a sex offender as part of his plea deal, and to avoid contact with people of 18 and unrelated women of any age without the approval of the Department of Corrections, according to court records.

However, according to court documents, Cortez was accused of violating probation at least four times between 2015 and April of 2018.

Cortez’s probation was revoked, and he was sentenced to 15 months at the MN Correctional Facility in St. Cloud in early May of 2018, with credit for 190 days previously served.

According to the Minnesota Department of Corrections, he is currently incarcerated at the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Faribault.

His next Olmsted County court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 1, 2023.