Rojay Rolando Smith, 23, of Zumbrota, Goodhue County, Minnesota, United States was recently arrested in Rochester, Olmsted County, Minnesota. Zumbrota and Rochester are around 24 miles away from each other.
Who is Rojay Rolando Smith?
On July 26, 2018, Jim Franklin was appointed the Rochester Police Department chief. According to him, the department “takes internet crimes against children very seriously and has a dedicated Technology Forensic Unit committed to finding offenders so they are held accountable”.
Recently, the Rochester Police Department conducted a proactive undercover operation at a business in Rochester. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office and the police department of Buffalo, Wright County, Minnesota assisted in the operation targeting online offenders trying to solicit minors for sex acts.
As part of the operation, investigators created online advertisements showing a female offering sexual acts or services in exchange for money. On September 12, 2024, the Rochester Police Department activated the advertisements by posting them on websites where people usually go to pay for sex.
On September 13, 2024, the investigators posed as minors and used online platforms to chat with people who responded to the advertisements. They identified the people messaging the undercover chatter.
Four men including Smith agreed to meet the undercover chatter at a business in Rochester. Once he arrived, he sent a photo of where he parked.
Investigators placed Smith under arrest. He admitted to using a talkatone number to message the advertisement.
Smith was charged with engaging in, hiring or agreeing to hire a minor to engage in prostitution. He and the three other suspects were booked into the Olmsted County Jail in Rochester.
CONAN Daily 