A 34-year-old Eden Prairie man, already facing child solicitation charges in Minnesota, was arrested again in Florida while out on bond, accused of trying to solicit another minor.
Michael Bruce Gillis was first charged in Bloomington on Aug. 7, accused of using electronic communication to arrange a meeting with someone he believed to be a child. In that case, he was charged with soliciting a child through electronic communication and fifth-degree drug possession. Gillis posted a $75,000 bond and was released, with his next court hearing scheduled for Nov. 5.
While awaiting trial, Gillis was arrested in Florida during “Operation Autumn Sweep,” an undercover human trafficking operation led by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. The five-day sting operation, which began Oct. 2, targeted individuals attempting to solicit minors online. Polk County is in central Florida, between Tampa and Orlando.
According to authorities, Gillis communicated with an undercover detective posing as a 14-year-old boy. He allegedly sent explicit messages and attempted to arrange a meeting, bringing condoms to the meeting location. Gillis initially provided a false identity to officers but was later identified through fingerprinting, which connected him to his pending charges in Minnesota.
Gillis now faces additional felony charges in Florida, including traveling to meet a minor, using a computer to solicit a child and lewd and lascivious conduct. He was released from Polk County jail after posting a $72,000 bond and is under GPS monitoring.
A hearing on his Minnesota charges was held Oct. 16. The court permitted Gillis to live in Florida under the conditions that he has no contact with anyone under 18 and that the court approves any travel outside of Florida.
In an Oct. 17 video posted to the police department’s YouTube channel, Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges voiced frustration that Gillis, after being arrested in Minnesota, has been accused of committing similar offenses again.
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