Eden Prairie police sting leads to 12 arrests in attempted child exploitation case

Twelve men were arrested in Eden Prairie this week during a coordinated sting operation targeting individuals who believed they were arranging to pay for sex with an underage girl, the Eden Prairie Police Department announced Friday.

The undercover operation took place Monday, June 23, and was led by Eden Prairie police with support from the 494 Corridor Group, a multi-agency task force focused on combating trafficking and exploitation along the Interstate 494 corridor. Assisting agencies included the Bloomington, Edina, Maple Grove, Minnetonka, Plymouth and Richfield police departments, as well as the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office.

According to police, the men arrested range in age from 24 to 46 and live across the Twin Cities metro area, with one from Wisconsin. The department said the suspects believed they were meeting a juvenile for commercial sex and were arrested upon arrival at a designated location in Eden Prairie.

No actual juveniles were involved in the operation.

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The sting is part of an ongoing effort to reduce demand for commercial sex and identify potential trafficking victims. Since 2016, Eden Prairie detectives have participated in 38 similar operations across the metro, resulting in 401 arrests. In that time, police have provided services to 117 individuals identified as victims, including access to safe housing, treatment, and employment and life skills programs.

As of Wednesday, July 2, 11 of the 12 arrests had resulted in felony charges, according to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. The remaining two cases are under review.

The felony charge – prostitution involving a person reasonably believed to be between 16 and 17 years old – carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine under Minnesota law.