Renville County ( trfnews.i234.me ) – A Cottonwood man is facing felony charges in Renville County after authorities say he was caught in a sting operation that led to the discovery of sexual images of minors.
According to a criminal complaint, Travis Jon Olson, 45, of Cottonwood, was arrested on August 8 in Bird Island after the Renville County Sheriff’s Office received a tip about a man attempting to meet with a juvenile girl.
Court documents state Olson was confronted by a group of individuals at a city park. Deputies arrived to find Olson seated at a picnic table, where the group accused him of attempting to meet a 13-year-old. Olson later admitted to deputies that he had online conversations of a sexual nature with people he believed were underage.
Investigators allege Olson admitted to having nude photos of girls as young as 14 in his phone. He provided his passcode and confirmed that both images and videos were stored in his photo library. Olson claimed the material was obtained through conversations on social media and not downloaded from websites.
Olson was charged with one felony count of possession of child pornography. He made his first court appearance on August 11 and was ordered held on $100,000 bail without conditions or $10,000 bail with conditions. He posted bond the next day and was released with restrictions that prohibit contact with anyone under 18.
His next court appearance is scheduled for August 25. The investigation into the contents of his phone remains ongoing.
For more on Minnesota child exploitation laws, visit the Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.
Travis Jon Olson