Mankato Police arrest 44 year old male in undercover child solicitation investigation
On August 24, Mankato Police took Jamey Scott Ralph Strand (DOB 05/29/81) of River Falls, Wisconsin, into custody following a lengthy undercover child solicitation investigation. An undercover detective exchanged multiple messages with Strand over a period of time in chat rooms. Strand believed he was communicating with a 14 year old female and was charged in Blue Earth County District Court with soliciting a child through electronic communication to engage in sexual conduct.
Strand messaged that he would be traveling through Mankato on August 24 and asked if they could try meeting. Officers identified his vehicle, conducted a traffic stop and took him into custody without incident. If convicted of the felony charges, Strand could face a maximum of 5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine, or both.
From the complaint, the official description of charges:
On or between August 14, 2025 and August 24, 2025, in the County of Blue Earth, Minnesota, Jamey Scott Ralph Strand, did, as a person 18 years of age or older, use the Internet, a computer, computer program, computer network, computer system, an electronic communications system, or a telecommunications, wire, or radio communications system, or other electronic device capable of electronic data storage or transmission to commit any of the following acts, with the intent to arouse the sexual desire of any person; to wit: soliciting a child or someone the person reasonably believes is a child to engage in sexual conduct.
