A Minnesota man sent dozens of sexually explicit messages to what he believed was a 15-year-old girl over several weeks, repeatedly describing sexual acts and urging her to meet up.
Michael David Bowman, 54, of Minnesota, faces 10 felony charges of engaging in electronic communication relating or describing sexual conduct with a child and soliciting a child or someone he believed to be a child through electronic communication to engage in sexual conduct, according to a complaint filed Thursday, June 18.
According to court records, a Carver County detective created an undercover profile on social media in March 2026, posing as a 15-year-old girl. The undercover account posted a message indicating the user was a 15-year-old female. The next day, Bowman responded and began chatting with the profile, repeatedly acknowledging the age and referencing his interest in younger females.
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Over the following weeks, Bowman sent a series of increasingly explicit messages. He asked about the victim’s first sexual experience, the color of her underwear and whether she had ever worn a thong. He described sexual acts in detail, asked for photos and discussed meeting in person. Bowman also sent messages about wanting to see the victim naked, describing what he wanted to do to her and encouraging her to perform sexual acts.
The complaint details that Bowman continued to message the victim nearly daily, asking about her body, sexual experiences and preferences. He described himself as being aroused by her and made repeated references to wanting to engage in sexual activity with her, including unprotected sex. Bowman also asked the victim to shave her body and told her to prepare for sexual contact.
Throughout the conversations, Bowman made it clear he believed he was communicating with a 15-year-old. He referenced her age multiple times and discussed the risks of being caught. The undercover detective documented each exchange, preserving the chat logs as evidence. A court date has not yet been set.
About This Charge
Minnesota’s criminal sexual conduct statutes are organized by degree under § 609.342 (first), § 609.343 (second), § 609.344 (third) and § 609.345 (fourth). First-degree convictions carry up to 30 years in prison; the lower degrees carry penalties up to 25, 15 and 10 years respectively. Cases involving minors trigger additional mandatory-minimum provisions and predatory-offender registration under § 243.166.
Related MN CRIME Coverage
Burnsville School Para Charged with Soliciting Child in Undercover Sting • Man Arrested After Carver County Sting Targeting Online Predators • Eden Prairie Man Facing 13 Felonies After Predator Sting
Jurisdictional Context
Carver County, southwest of the Twin Cities metro, is served by the Carver County Attorney’s Office through the First Judicial District. Felony cases are heard at the Carver County Justice Center in Chaska.
