2 Arrested For Having Sex With 17-Year-Old Trafficking Victim
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - Two men are accused of having sex with a runaway 17-year-old girl for money, in connection with a St. Paul prostitution sting earlier this year.
Michael Mark Jordan, 42, of White Bear Lake, and Robert Kjelstad, 53, of Ellsworth, Wisconsin, are charged with one count each of engaging in prostitution with a minor.
Amanda Larscheid, 21, rented an apartment in St. Paul from May to August 2013. She and her two roommates pleaded guilty earlier this year to soliciting a minor to practice prostitution.
The minor was a 17-year-old cousin of Larscheid's who had ran away from home.
Jordan was identified by police after they traced the logo of his company truck, "A Cut Above Tree Service." According to the criminal complaint, he had sex with the minor in truck, in addition to inside Larscheid's apartment.
Jordan and Kjelstad are being charged in Ramsey County.
"Buying children for sex will not be tolerated in our community," Ramsey County Attorney John Choi said in a statement. "We wouldn't have this problem if it weren't for men who think it's okay to buy children for sex as if they were ordering a pizza."
If convicted, Jordan and Kjelstad face up to five years behind bars and a $10,000 fine.