Olmsted County detention deputy arrested on child solicitation, prostitution charges

Deputy Arrested on Child Solicitation Charges

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(ABC 6 News) – Rochester police took an Olmsted County detention deputy into custody Thursday in an undercover sex crime investigation.

According to RPD Public Information Officer Amanda Grayson, 44-year-old Mathew Adamson with the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office, was taken into custody at a Rochester shopping center around 6:30 p.m. Nov. 2.

Police claim Adamson had exchanged online chat messages with an undercover investigator who was posing as a child under age 14, and had planned to meet the “child” at the shopping center for sex.

Capt. Tim Parkin with the OCSO confirmed that Adamson works for the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office.

Adamson, who has worked for the OCSO for 18.5 years and is listed as a corporal, according to his LinkedIn, has been placed on paid administrative leave, Parkin said.

The Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office released the following statement Monday, Nov. 6:

“Matt Adamson was assigned as a Detention Deputy Corporal working in the Adult Detention Center. He is an 18-year employee. Immediately upon the Sheriff’s Office’s learning of the investigation relating to Mr. Adamson, he was placed on Administrative Leave per our policy. Any further questions or comments should be directed to the Rochester Police Department and the Minnesota BCA.”

According to Grayson, Adamson faces the following felony charges:

  • Engage/Hire Prostitution: Individual under Age of 14
  • Solicitation Child through Electronic Communication
  • Electronic Communications – Sexual Conduct with a Child

Tiffany Hawkins with the Olmsted County Attorney’s Office said Adamson’s case will be prosecuted by Mower County.

According to court documents filed Friday, Rochester police and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) were investigating individuals who use the web to exploit children Wednesday, Nov. 1.

According to court documents, Adamson is accused of messaging an undercover detective with RPD using the persona of a 13-year-old girl, asking for “her” age and gender, then offering to buy her White Claw for various sex acts.

According to court documents, the undercover detective repeated their persona’s age, 13, several times between Nov. 1 and 2.

According to court documents, Adamson initiated a second online conversation with a MN BCA agent, who was pretending to be a 14-year-old girl.

Court documents allege that Adamson sent a photo of his face to the BCA agent, as well as a picture of his work boots. According to court documents, the background in the photo of Adamson’s boots appeared to be an Olmsted County courtroom.

Adamson allegedly asked the BCA agent posing as a 14-year-old if “she” would be comfortable meeting in person.

According to court documents, he also requested that the RPD detective meet him at a specific location in Rochester.

According to court documents, police surveilled Adamson as he left his job at the Olmsted County Work Release Center, part of the Adult Detention Center, and drove to the arranged meeting location.

Police allege that Adamson approached a decoy set up by law enforcement, and called out to her using the detective’s online persona name.

He was booked into the Mower County jail, according to Grayson.

Mower County judge Jeffrey Kritzer set Adamson’s bail at $10,000 with conditions, including no social media or contact with persons under 18, or $100,000 with no conditions.