Suspected Child Exploitation Case Investigated in Eveleth, MN, Rock Ridge High School Employee Involved

Suspected Child Exploitation Case Investigated in Eveleth, MN, Rock Ridge High School Employee Involved

On the evening of Wednesday, cyber-tip-offs alerted Minnesota authorities of suspected child exploitation activities. These tips, as reported by the St. Louis Sheriff’s Office, came courtesy of electronic service providers working in concert with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). When such providers spot ominous material, it gets shuttled to NCMEC, then to a state law enforcement agency to pinpoint the incident's locale, with local law enforcement subsequently getting tapped.

The allegations involved in this case were notably bleak. One implicated an individual in the solicitation of a minor residing in Georgia. The other pertained to someone ensnared in receiving child sexual abuse material. Upon further probing, it turned out the suspect behind these allegations was nestled in Eveleth, MN, and was on the payroll at Rock Ridge High School. This connection, though key, has not yet rendered any students or local victims tied to the investigation.

On Thursday, a combined task force of St. Louis County Sheriff's deputies, BCA agents, individuals from the Lake Superior Forensic Technology and Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (LSFT&ICACTF), amongst others, executed search warrants in both Virginia and Eveleth cities. In this concerted effort, the suspect was found, interrogated, and items deemed of evidentiary value were snatched up. As this point, no arresting has occurred and the investigation remains fluid, according to a statement from the St. Louis Sheriff's Office.

While the investigation continues to unfold with discretion, the Sheriff's Office accentuated an absence of any information that would rope in local victims or Rock Ridge High School students into the mix. For citizens rattled by the event or seeking more info, Sgt. Eric Sathers of the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office has been designated the point of contact at 218-336-4311.

SOURCE: hoodline