An Otsego swim instructor who ran programs for children with special needs is facing a felony charge after investigators say he sent sexual images and grooming messages to a 15-year-old student. Blake Beatnik Le Saint, 36, is charged in Wright County with distributing sexual material to a child, and authorities have secured a warrant for his arrest. The case is drawing extra scrutiny because Le Saint operated an adaptive swim program that served young clients.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Wright County District Court and reported by FOX 9 Minneapolis‑St. Paul, detectives say the alleged exchanges began in August 2025 and continued into March 2026, and that the girl had been taking lessons from Le Saint since 2021. Investigators allege he used both his real name and a fake persona called "Taylor," offered the teen money for nude photos and sent an explicit image of himself. The girl's parents contacted police on April 15, 2026, after discovering what they described as grooming-type messages on her phone.
Le Saint is a familiar name in the local adaptive-swim community. Eden Prairie Local News reported that he coaches a Special Olympics-affiliated team called Mr. Blake’s Wavemakers and operates Mr. Blake’s Swim Academy, while a SwimSwam job posting for the academy lists an Elk River contact address. Those profiles describe his work with swimmers who have disabilities and extra support needs. Community members note that instructors who work one-on-one with vulnerable swimmers occupy a position of trust, which helps explain the heightened concern around the charge.
Investigation and allegations
Investigators say they traced texts from a burner phone number using the name "Taylor" back to Le Saint and, according to the complaint cited by FOX 9, detected thousands of messages exchanged between the number and the teen. The filing describes conversations about massages, skinny-dipping, pornography and masturbation, and alleges that Le Saint offered to pay the girl to model in underwear or a bikini. A warrant for his arrest remains active as the Wright County case moves forward.
Legal implications
Under Minnesota law, distributing child sexual-abuse material is a felony. State statute allows penalties of up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to $20,000 for certain dissemination offenses, with aggravated penalties, including possible sentences of up to 15 years and higher fines, when there are prior convictions or other qualifying factors.
Neither a minor's apparent consent nor a mistake about the minor's age is a defense to these charges, according to the Minnesota Revisor of Statutes, which also lays out conditional release terms that can apply after a prison sentence in many such cases.
Authorities say the warrant for Le Saint is active, and anyone with information is urged to contact the Wright County Sheriff’s Office. The county lists reporting options and public-safety contacts on the Wright County Sheriff’s page. Court filings and any upcoming hearings will be handled through Wright County District Court as the case proceeds.
