MINNEAPOLIS — A Michigan man has been sentenced to more than five years in prison, in addition to fines and a decade of supervised release, for coming to Minnesota to engage in sexual acts with a minor.
According to U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger's Office, the trouble began in late 2022 when 22-year-old Maxwell Beardsley met a young teenager on Omegle, an online video chat website.
The minor identified themselves as such immediately, but Beardsley lied and told the teen that he was only 16 years old, before pursuing a romantic relationship with the victim.
Beardsley exchanged sexually explicit materials and engaged in explicit conversations with the minor for several months, according to the office.
On Jan. 27, 2023, Beardsley drove from Michigan to Minnesota for "the express purpose of meeting the minor victim to engage in sex,", according to the document.
His arrest and sentencing resulted from a joint investigation conducted by the FBI, the Lakeville Police Department and the Oakland County Sheriff's Office in Michigan.
In addition to his sentence of 70 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release, Beardsley is required to pay restitution to the victim and pay $5,000 to the Domestic Victim Trafficking Fund.
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