Polk County (trfnews.i234.me) — A Crookston man faces three felony counts, court records say. The charges allege child sexual abuse material.
Michael Anthony Arpa, 37, of Crookston, is the defendant. He is charged in Polk County District Court. The court is in Minnesota’s Ninth Judicial District. Court File No. 60-CR-26-43 is listed.
How the case started
Investigators say the case began with an ICAC CyberTip. ICAC stands for Internet Crimes Against Children. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension forwarded the tip, the complaint says.
The tip linked to a Kik account, court papers say. Kik is a messaging app owned by MediaLab. Police sought a search warrant for account records, according to the complaint.
The warrant requested data from July 4 through July 9, 2025. Investigators reviewed the returned data in early December 2025. They reported four files confirmed as illegal material.
Court records say the account used a specific IP address. Investigators linked that address to Arpa, the complaint says. The records also included self-made photos, investigators said. They reported the photos matched Arpa.
Traffic stop and interview
On January 7, 2026, officers stopped a vehicle Arpa was driving, court papers say. He was detained and taken to the Crookston Police Department. The complaint says he spoke with investigators after a rights warning.
Arpa admitted to using the Kik app, the complaint says. He also admitted visiting rooms that were “not good.” Investigators say he showed he understood the concerns. He was arrested and booked at the Northwest Regional Corrections Center.
Charges and possible penalties
The complaint lists three counts under Minnesota Statute 617.247. Each count alleges the material involved a child under 14. Each count allows up to 10 years in prison. Each count also allows a $10,000 fine.
Charges are allegations. Arpa is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Court hearings will be scheduled in Polk County.
External resources
See the links below.
- Minnesota Statute 617.247.
- Minnesota Statute 617.246 (definitions).
- Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
- National Center for Missing & Exploited Children CyberTipline.
- Kik.
- Minnesota court case search.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.