MANCHESTER, Iowa (KCRG) – A Minneapolis man is facing charges after allegedly contacting an undercover officer posing as a 16-year-old online as part of an ongoing child predator sting in Manchester.
23-year-old Robert Eselby III was charged Friday with grooming and sending obscene material to a minor. He is accused of contacting the undercover officer on social media, sending explicit photos, and making plans to visit the child for sexual activity, according to police.
Court documents show Eselby sent a message to the undercover officer stating, “Do you want to see my body?” and suggested he would come spend the night.
When Eselby arrived at a Manchester park for the planned meetup, he told police he was there to “hang out with my friend,” and provided the undercover name.
Police said Eselby also attempted to solicit an arresting officer while in custody.
Eselby’s case is among those made possible by an Iowa law enacted in July 2024 that makes it a felony to communicate with a child with the intent to commit a sex crime. The law allows police to charge predators based on online communications and intent, even before a physical meeting with a child occurs. Before the law took effect, police said predators could communicate with children online and plan meetups without being charged unless they attempted or committed a separate crime, such as sexual abuse.
Eselby is one of eight individuals arrested as part of Operation Castle, an undercover sting that began in September 2025. The other seven suspects allegedly traveled to Manchester believing they would meet a 15-year-old, according to officers. Police said at least one of the suspects could not have been charged without Iowa’s new grooming law.
Manchester police said the operation is ongoing and they will continue to identify and arrest online predators. Since the operation launched, police said they have received more than 100 unsolicited photos or requested meetups.
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