Nathan Ryan Meadows, 27, of Saint Paul, is facing a four-count criminal complaint filed Friday in Ramsey County District Court that accuses him of using electronic messages to solicit a child, arranging prostitution with a 16- to 17-year-old, and assaulting a household member by strangulation. The alleged conduct is tied to incidents the complaint dates to early January and again in late May. Meadows is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty in court.
Ramsey County complaint lists four felonies
According to a criminal complaint and reporting by Limitless Media News, prosecutors charged Meadows with four felony counts. One count alleges prostitution, engaging a 16- to 17-year-old in connection with an incident dated Jan. 8. A second count from that same Jan. 8 episode alleges domestic assault by strangulation involving a household member.
The complaint also lists two late May counts that accuse Meadows of soliciting a child, or someone he reasonably believed was a child, through electronic communication and of communicating about sexual conduct with that person. The filing in Ramsey County District Court, as reported by Limitless Media News, notes that all counts are accusations and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Electronic solicitation charge explained
Minnesota treats electronic solicitation of children, including texts, direct messages and social apps, as a felony when an adult solicits or communicates sexual material to someone the adult knows or reasonably believes to be a child. The state's solicitation statute, Minn. Stat. 609.352, covers both in-person and electronic attempts to persuade a minor to engage in sexual conduct. Prosecutors have used that statute in cases where online chats or messages make up the primary evidence of intent.
Penalties and the strangulation count
Hiring or soliciting a 16- or 17-year-old for prostitution is treated seriously under Minnesota law and can carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine, as summarized by FindLaw. Domestic assault by strangulation is charged as a felony in Minnesota and is often punishable by up to three years in prison and a $5,000 fine, along with collateral consequences that can follow a conviction. Legal guides note that those penalties are separate and can stack if a defendant is convicted on multiple counts.
What comes next
The criminal complaint was filed Friday, and any scheduled hearings or additional court actions will appear on the Ramsey County docket as the case moves forward. Limitless Media News reported the filing but did not list an arraignment date or case outcome, and for now the matter remains at the complaint stage. Members of the public looking for updates are advised to check official court records for the latest filings and hearing dates.
