ROCHESTER, MN – A 48-year-old Byron man, William Pirkl, was arrested following a multi-week undercover operation targeting the online solicitation of minors, according to a statement from the Rochester Police Department.
Pirkl was taken into custody at approximately 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 22, after law enforcement executed a search warrant at a residence in the 11000 block of 10th Street SW in rural Byron. Investigators recovered digital evidence believed to be connected to the solicitation case.
He has been booked into the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center and is being held on three felony charges, including:
Soliciting a child through electronic communication
Electronically communicating with a child regarding sexual conduct
Electronically distributing sexual conduct to a child
Authorities say the investigation remains active as detectives continue to process and review a large volume of digital data recovered during the search.
Law enforcement has not released additional details at this time, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation.
