Former Prison Employee Sentenced in Rochester Juvenile Sex Sting

Rochester, Mn (KROC-AM News) - A former employee of the Federal Bureau of Prisons in Rochester has been sentenced for a conviction stemming from a Rochester Police underage sex sting investigation.

Court records state that 48-year-old Joseph Peter Solak was charged last fall and accused of engaging in an online conversation with an undercover police officer posing as a 14-year-old girl. It was alleged that the conversations became sexual in nature and that Solak sent sexually explicit photos of himself.

He Was Accused of Using Another Person's Identity in the Online Conversations

According to the criminal complaint, investigators were able to trace the online communications to a phone linked to a Rochester residence. Investigators then executed a search warrant and spoke with the resident, whose physical description matched non-sexually explicit photos that were sent to the undercover officer. The man denied any involvement in the online messaging.

(Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

The court document states that investigators later determined Solak had been using that person’s online account to converse with the undercover officer. That led to the execution of another search warrant at Solak's home in northwest Rochester and the seizure of a smartphone.

Solak Admitted Messaging Other Juvenile Girls

The criminal complaint states that Solak gave a statement to investigators and admitted messaging the undercover officer and engaging in sexual conversations with girls between the ages of 10 and 16. Solak also told investigators that he used photos of other men from social media accounts in an attempt to hide his identity.

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His social media page indicated that Solak was employed as a Human Resources Specialist for the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

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He was charged with felony counts of soliciting a child through electronic communication to engage in sexual conduct, engaging in electronic communication relating to or describing sexual conduct with a child, soliciting a child to engage in sexual conduct, and stalking by false impersonation.

His Conviction Was Deemed a Misdemeanor

Under a plea agreement, Solak admitted to the stalking charge in exchange for the dismissal of the other charges against him. At his sentencing hearing this week, Solak's conviction was deemed a misdemeanor offense, and he was placed on probation for five years. He was also ordered to serve 15 days in jail with work-release privileges.

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Filed Under: Local Crime Coverage, Rochester Minnesota, Rochester Police Department, solicitation of a child

Categories: Local News