Bemidji Man Arrested For Allegedly Soliciting An Agent Believed To Be A Minor

A Bemidji man has been charged for allegedly soliciting an undercover agent who was believed to have been a 14-year-old boy.

56-year-old Brian Niner of Bemidji was arrested only a few days after he allegedly initiated contact with the agent.

According to the criminal complaint, on December 13th, a Minnesota B.C.A. agent posted an ad on Craigslist under the “casual encounters” section claiming to be a 14-year-old boy. The agent received an email from Niner where the two of them exchanged numbers.

On December 16th Niner sent the agent a text message and arranged to meet. When Niner arrived at the location he was arrested and agreed to speak with a B.C.A. agent.

The complaint says that Niner was hoping to pick up the kid to help him decorate his Christmas tree.

Niner stated that he had a bad feeling throughout his conversation with the kid and indicated that he was aware the kid was underage, however the motive to text was to have sexual fun.

The complaint also says that Niner continuously stated that nothing sexual would have happened because of his morals.

Niner is scheduled to appear in Beltrami County Court on January 3rd.