Man Facing Child Porn Charges Not Tied To Social Media Rumors In Detroit Lakes
Investigators say they have no knowledge that the incident being talked about on social media occurred nor of Alexander Coyne's alleged involvement
DETROIT LAKES, Minn. — Authorities in Detroit Lakes say the arrest of a man for child porn is not related to a social media rumor alleging an incident in the city.
31-year-old Alexander Coyne is behind bars for possession of pornographic work involving minors.
Formal charges are expected in the next few days.
Coyne, seen here in 2018, is also accused of violating the conditions of probation from a sex sting case that year.
Investigators say they have no knowledge that the incident being talked about on social media occurred nor of Coyne’s alleged involvement in any such activity.
The police chief put out a full statement on social media regarding the rumors:
Message To Our Community:
This evening I was made aware of a widely circulating social media post regarding a claimed child pornography incident today at the Detroit Lakes Walmart between approximately 11am and 12pm.
The post was shared with me as well as comments by people who had viewed the post. In summary, the content of the post centered on an individual stating he had witnessed a man taking photographs with his phone up a young girl’s skirt as she bent down to pick out groceries. The person posting stated he apprehended the man and held onto the man’s phone until Walmart Loss Prevention and the Police arrived. The person posting stated that the man was arrested, handcuffed, and led away.
I have tried reaching out to the individual who made this post but have been unable to reach him or speak with him.
I searched thru all of our calls for service in our records management system today, no such calls occurred. I have spoken with officers who worked today, they did not respond to any calls like this. I searched the person’s name who wrote the post, we have not had contact with him since July. I contacted members of Walmart’s Loss Prevention Department and they did not have any incidents like this occur. I was working all day today and did not hear anything like this being dispatched. The described incident did not occur at the Detroit Lakes Walmart today.
Several of the post commenters have been sharing the jail roster photo and charges of a male who was arrested today, and stating that this is the man who was involved in the Walmart incident. This arrest was due to a MN Department of Corrections Apprehension and Detention Order and was not in any way related to the posted story. The MN BCA and the Becker County Sheriff’s Office were involved in that arrest, I have have spoken to a deputy who was present at that scene, there is no relation between this individual and the claimed Walmart incident.
I would normally not address social media rumors, however this situation related to child pornography caused unnecessary and widespread alarm and concern for our community. In addition, a specific individual is being falsely accused of a repugnant crime. For both of those reasons, this needed to be addressed.
Good Night,
Chief Steve Todd
