Former Olmsted County cop pleads guilty to 1 federal count of producing child pornography – Post Bulletin

ROCHESTER — A former Olmsted County deputy district attorney has pleaded guilty in federal court to one count each of production and attempted production of child pornography, according to new documents filed Aug. 29.

Mathew Richard Adamson, 45, was charged in federal court with three counts of producing and attempting to produce child pornography.

Adamson was accused of producing child pornography involving 12- and 13-year-old girls on multiple occasions between 2015 and 2023, including “secretly recorded videos,” according to an earlier press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

According to court documents filed Thursday, Adamson admitted that in July 2023 he contacted a girl, knowing she was 12 years old, and asked her to send photos of herself. Adamson admitted that he knowingly “instigated, used, persuaded, enticed and coerced” the girl into sexually explicit conduct, the plea agreement said.

The statutory penalty is a mandatory minimum of 15 years in federal prison. However, for the level of Adamson’s offense, sentencing guidelines range from 19 years and seven months to 24 years and five months.

No further federal hearings were scheduled for Adamson on Thursday.

Adamson also faces charges in Olmsted County in connection with an undercover operation in which he allegedly attempted to solicit sex from an undercover officer he believed was a minor, under the age of 14, court documents show.

According to a search warrant issued by Rochester police, Adamson had a two-day conversation with an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old girl on the social media app Whisper. The court document says he offered to buy alcohol in exchange for sexual favors.

Chat logs released during the search show Adamson giving detailed instructions on sexual acts.

Olmsted County began the process of firing Adamson in late October 2023 after his initial charges. He served with the sheriff’s office from 2005 to 2023.

According to Minnesota court records, a jury trial has been scheduled since July 17.

People who are dealing with sexual exploitation can call the crisis line 24 hours a day at 507-289-0636. There they will speak to someone who can refer them to help.