Hayfield Man Convicted in Rochester Underage Prostitution Sting Gets Jail Sentence, Probation

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- A Hayfield man has been sentenced to five years probation and 30 days in jail for his conviction in a Rochester prostitution sting. 

Read More: Seven Charged in Rochester Underage Prostitution Sting

Rochester police partnered with the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Olmsted County Attorney’s Office to create and post online ads on websites known to be used by people seeking to purchase sex.

Authorities conducted the operation in April of 2024. A total of seven men were charged in the case.

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52-Year-Old Hayfield Man Sentenced for Arrangning Meeting for Sexual Act With Fake Teen

One of the men charged was 52-year-old Andrew O’Neill. The criminal complaint against him states that he responded to one of the ads posted by investigators and exchanged messages with an undercover officer.

See Also: Incarcerated Cannon Falls Woman Sentenced for Rochester Fleeing Incident 

 The court document says the officer posed online as a 17-year-old, and O’Neill was accused of arranging a meeting for the purpose of engaging in a sexual act even after he was told the person he was communicating with was a juvenile.

O’Neill was arrested when he arrived at a business in Rochester expecting to meet with the juvenile.

He was charged with a felony count of prostitution involving a person reasonably believed to be under the age of 18. O’Neill entered a guilty plea to the charge last December.