Big Lake Man Pleads Guilty in Undercover Child Sex Sting

ST. CLOUD -- A Big Lake man caught in an undercover sting involving online chat rooms and the solicitation of a child has pleaded guilty.

Stearns County court records show 32-year-old Matthew Piram messaged a decoy account set up by the Central Minnesota Human Trafficking Task Force last September. Piram was accused of soliciting, who he believed was a 15-year-old girl, to engage in sexual conduct.

According to the charging complaint, the initial conversation began in late September and transitioned from a social media app to a private email Piram shared with the undercover officer. After completing the investigation, officers went to Piram's home and arrested him.