NEW ULM — A 29-year-old Sleepy Eye man accused of posing as a teenager on a social media app last fall made a plea agreement in Brown County District Court Monday.

Gideon Lynn Turgeon Jr. agreed to plead guilty to gross misdemeanor assault and misdemeanor contempt in a plea agreement involving two cases. Four felony harassment, felony theft and felony computer/electronic data theft charges and a misdemeanor assault charge were dismissed. Sentencing was set for 9:30 a.m. Oct. 20.

In the harassment case, Turgeon was accused of slapping an unnamed male on the side of the head after he agreed to meet his underage persona at Allison Park in Sleepy Eye last fall, according to court documents.

The alleged slapping happened after Turgeon identified himself as a “Midwest Predator Catcher” to the alleged male victim in a park shelter. The man said he and Turgeon discussed “some sexual things” but did not agree to do anything.

The victim told Sleepy Eye Police Investigator Shawn Bohnen that Turgeon threatened to call the cops if the victim ran or tried to leave. The victim said his head hurt badly and was bruised and that he felt badly for a while, even suicidal.

The victim said Turgeon posted a video on his Midwest Predator Catchers Facebook page, until the victim threatened to sue him for defamation and it was removed.

Bohnen searched Turgeon’s residence with an approved search warrant and found iPhone messages between Turgeon and the man and a 19-minute video of Turgeon confronting him at Allison Park and telling him “he is going to keep catching predators.”

Brown County Attorney Chuck Hanson said he was concerned with the tactics and facts that suspects were confronted without police after Midwest Predator videos drew online attention.

“I don’t encourage any sort of vigilantism for people without conflict resolution and law enforcement training,” said Hanson. “Their motivation may be noble, but their execution is lacking.”

In the theft case, Turgeon was accused of stealing his ex-girlfriend’s iPad, iPhone and virtual reality headset, valued at $2,377.53. He was served a June 21, 2023 Order for Protection that ordered him to return it to her while he was living in Hanska but he never returned the items found in Turgeon’s Sleepy Eye residence by Brown County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Konechne Jan. 22, 2025.

Turgeon will be required to pay a restitution amount to be set. Jail time has a cap of 30 initial days with eligibility for work release. Huber and jail time to be served on weekends. Any jail time is concurrent with pending probation.