A 28-year-old Maple Grove man is facing charges following an incident Saturday at a youth baseball tournament at Bane Park in Brainerd.
Jeffrey Charles Gerdes was charged Tuesday in Crow Wing County District Court for felony interfering with the privacy of a minor under age 18, gross misdemeanor of interfering with the privacy in a public setting where gazing, staring or peeping was done and misdemeanor of disorderly conduct. Gerdes is in custody at the Crow Wing County Jail.
Brainerd police officers arrested Gerdes after investigating reports of a male who was following children into the restrooms at the youth baseball tournament for 11 and 12 year old boys in Brainerd.
Shortly after 6 p.m., police responded to a report from parents that an unknown man had repeatedly followed youth into the restroom at the baseball field in Bane Park, located at the 1700 Block of South Seventh Street.
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According to the probable cause complaint filed against Gerdes, he was observed to be standing at the urinal next to the boy and there was no privacy divider between the urinals. After the boy left the bathroom, Gerdes also exited the bathroom and walked around the building. Less than a minute a different boy went into the bathroom and the defendant came back around the corner quickly and went in behind the second boy.
Authorities received no information that Gerdes made any physical contact or comments with any of the children, police stated in a news release. Police learned a parent had confronted Gerdes as he was trying to leave the area. Officers located a parent following the man who was trying to walk away. Police identified the suspect as Gerdes, who was arrested without incident.
The court document stated Gerdes had no ties to anyone playing in the tournament. Gerdes claimed to have a friend who was a child playing for one of the teams. There is no parent of a player on the alleged team by the name Gerdes gave. The complaint stated Gerdes was witnessed to engage in similar conduct the week prior at a different baseball tournament by the same boys team members.
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Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Brainerd Police Department at 218-829-2805.
