NEW ULM — A 38-year-old Cottonwood man accused of soliciting who he believed to be a child to engage in sexual conduct online faces eight felony charges in Brown County District Court.

Solicitation of a child or believed to be a child through electronic communication to engage in sexual conduct charges were filed Dec. 29 against Brandon Matthew Mitchell of Cottonwood. A remote hearing was set for 8:30 a.m. Jan. 23.

According to court documents, Brown County Investigator Andrew Konechne began an undercover chat investigation on a social media dating application Dec. 1, posing as a 13-year-old female child here referred to as “Child.”

Konechne used a photo of a known Brown County employee and age regressed it using FaceApp in the chat investigation.

An individual with the screen name BIGC sent Child a winking smiley face message followed by “what are your looking for” and “what is your real age.”

Konechne responded as his 13-year-old personal Child, “promise not to tell on me,” then told BIGC they were 13 years old.

BIGC responded, “very nice baby girl” and asked Child for a “very sexy picture” and asked if Child wanted to have sex with him then and numerous times in later texting.

Konechne learned via a series of questions that BIGC has no kids, was never married, is age 38 and lives with his mother and siblings. His profile read he lived in Cottonwood.

BIGC also disclosed he worked as a Prairie’s Edge Casino security guard for the past 13 years near Granite Falls.

On Dec. 6, Konechne sent a letter to Prairie’s Edge Casino Investigations Manager Richard Hermanson explaining the case and a copy of BIGC, now referred to as Mitchell, and a profile photo from his social media dating application.

Konechne asked Hermanson if he recognized the individual in the photo. Hermanson responded that he recognized the individual as Mitchell. Hermanson provided a copy of Mitchell’s driver’s license with a Cottonwood address and a photo taken when he was hired. The driver’s license photo of Mitchell was consistent with the other photo of him.

Konechne prepared a subpoena for Microsoft seeking subscriber information related to Mitchell’s address.

A Yellow Medicine County judge approved a search warrant Dec. 11 for computers, personal electronics, chat conversation evidence with Mitchell.

The next day, Konechne, Yellow Medicine County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Casey Namken and a deputy went to Mitchell’s residence with the search warrant.

Mitchell admitted chatting with a 13-year-old on an online dating app, using “inappropriate talk.”

Mitchell admitted offering to go and meet Child one afternoon. Konechne took Mitchell’s cell phone as evidence and later found a social media dating application on it, texted BIGC from Child’s account and found the chat between Mitchell and child.

Mitchell admitted to soliciting Child to perform a sexual act after suggested to “go somewhere” with Child and “have sex” with her in a vehicle. His phone contained photos of himself and the photo he used in his social media dating application profile.