UPDATE: Minnesota Wilderness Assistant Coach Brendan Phelps Not Charged After YouTube Video
UPDATE (August 19, 2:00 p.m.) — Assistant Coach Brendan Phelps of the NAHL’s Minnesota Wilderness team will not face criminal charges regarding a YouTube video of him involved in a sting operation that surfaced in July.
In 609.352, a Minnesota statute explains that solicitation of children for sexual conduct and sending sexually explicit materials to children is prohibited. The first line in Subdivision 1 defines a “child” as someone who is 15 years old or younger.
Phelps was communicating with an individual who was allegedly 16.
A Brown County Attorney said the video evidence provided by The Midwest Predator Catchers does not indicate Phelps committed a crime.
ORIGINAL POST:
CLOQUET, Minn.- On Monday, the NAHL’s Minnesota Wilderness team has terminated assistant coach Brendan Phelps after a video surfaced on YouTube over the weekend.
The online video was uploaded by a group that called itself, The Midwest Predator Catchers. They say their mission is to lure and catch predatory adults by posing as minors online.
Phelps was seen in one of the group’s video’s posted on Saturday. The group says it posed as a 16-year-old boy that Phelps allegedly communicated with online, adding that he showed up at a park in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota to allegedly meet with the teen for sex. At this point the video has accumulated over 20,000 views in YouTube so far.
The Wilderness took immediate action and announced Monday that the team has fired Brendan Phelps after seeing the video. He has also been suspended from any involvement in USA Hockey- sanctioned activities.
Monday the team released a statement that says:
“The Minnesota Wilderness was informed on Sunday, July 10, that a video making allegations against Assistant Coach Brendan Phelps had been posted on YouTube and possibly other social media sites. The Wilderness has been in contact with the North American Hockey League, the U.S. Center for SafeSport, and local authorities regarding this matter. Mr. Phelps’ employment by The Wilderness has ended effective immediately and he has been suspended from all participation in any USA Hockey sanctioned activity, including all activity within the jurisdiction of the NAHL. Based on the information currently available to the The Wilderness, the conduct in question does not appear to have involved any NAHL player personnel or activities. Local authorities and the U.S. Center for SafeSport are handling this matter and The Wilderness will cooperate with their efforts, in coordination with the NAHL. The team encourages any player, player’s family member, or billet family member who has concerns about Mr. Phelps’ behavior to contact team representatives, so that they can be put in contact with the U.S. Center for SafeSport and/or local authorities. The incident is now being handled by the local authorities and the U.S. Center for SafeSport. Therefore, in cooperation with their investigations, the Minnesota Wilderness has no further comment at this time.”
The NAHL released a similar statement Monday, as well.
At this time, Phelps has not been charged with any crime. The Wilderness says the incident us being handled by local authorities. Fox 21 reached out to the Sleepy Eye police department but have not heard back yet.
This is a developing story.
