A Boiling Springs, South Carolina, man has admitted to multiple sex crimes in Stearns County after prosecutors say he repeatedly drove to St. Cloud to meet a 14-year-old girl he had been messaging online.
Nicholas Daniels, 23, pleaded guilty Monday in Stearns County District Court to two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct and two counts of describing sexual conduct to a child through electronic communications. He is scheduled to be sentenced in September in Stearns County District Court.
How prosecutors say the contact started
According to WJON, court documents state the girl first encountered Daniels on the online game Roblox in March or April 2025. Their conversations then moved to Snapchat, where prosecutors say the communication became sexual.
Investigators say Daniels drove from South Carolina to Minnesota in May 2025 and again in June. During those trips, he allegedly met the girl three times, including near a church, in a park and at her residence in north St. Cloud. A condom was found in the girl's room in June 2025, according to the complaint.
A forensic extraction of the girl's phone allegedly uncovered nude photos that Daniels sent, as well as messages that described sexual activity.
Charges, potential penalties and what comes next
Daniels' guilty plea covers two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct and two counts of describing sexual conduct to a child through electronic communications. Under Minnesota law, third-degree criminal sexual conduct can carry a prison term of up to 15 years and a fine of up to $30,000, and convictions commonly trigger sex-offender registration and lengthy conditional-release periods, according to Minnesota Statutes.
At the September sentencing hearing, a judge will decide Daniels' prison term, financial penalties and any conditions for his release and supervision.
Roblox under the microscope, again
The complaint notes that the first contact between Daniels and the girl occurred on Roblox, a gaming platform that has repeatedly drawn scrutiny over how adults can interact with minors in virtual spaces.
Roblox has said it works with law enforcement and submits safety reports for review. The company reported more than 24,000 submissions to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in 2024 while rolling out additional moderation and detection tools, according to Roblox.
Advocates say cases that start inside games and quickly shift to private apps like Snapchat show how limited platform moderation can be once conversations move off-site, and they stress that parental oversight is still a critical line of defense.
The bigger online-enticement picture
Nationally, the CyberTipline operated by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 21.3 million reports in 2025, including about 1.4 million reports tied to online enticement, underscoring how frequently children are targeted online, according to NCMEC.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the St. Cloud Police Department. Non-emergency contact information and reporting options are listed on the City of St. Cloud website.
