Rochester Prostitution Sting Leads to Warrant for Janesville Man
(UPDATE) - Harold Jewison has been taken into custody. The Olmsted County Adult Detention Center website indicates that he was booked into the facility Saturday afternoon.
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - Olmsted County authorities have issued an arrest warrant for a Mankato-area man in connection with a juvenile prostitution sting investigation.
Charges Filed in Olmsted County
A criminal complaint charges 60-year-old Harold John Jewison of Janesville with a single felony count of prostitution involving hiring a person reasonably believed to be under the age of 18.
Janesville Man Accused in Online Sting
The court document says a detective with the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office posted a fake online ad on a popular prostitution website that featured a fully clothed young female with her face covered and listed a phone number. The online ad was posted on August 4, and the detective reported that he began receiving text messages from a number belonging to Jewison that afternoon.
Planned Meeting at Rochester Hotel
The criminal complaint says the detective pretended to be a 16-year-old girl during the online conversations, which led Jewison to allegedly offer to pay $300 to engage in sexual activity with the person he believed was a juvenile girl. The detective indicated that Jewison agreed to meet at a Rochester hotel on the morning of August 7.
During the online conversations, it is also alleged that Jewison made remarks about previously sexually abusing girls as young as 10 years old.
Man Allegedly Suspected It Was a Sting
According to the court document, Jewison did not report to the hotel for the arranged meeting. It says a surveillance team from the South-Central Minnesota Drug Task Force and Violent Crimes Enforcement Team set up surveillance at Jewison's home in Janesville and observed him driving away from the residence that morning. While driving on Highway 14, the criminal complaint states that Jewison pulled off the highway before the detective received a message from him that stated, "Think it's a sting."
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