More charges in Faribault Girl Scout case

Federal agents press pornography charges against a former troop co-leader charged with rape in Faribault.

By BILL McAULIFFE, Star Tribune

Last update: October 30, 2009 - 12:13 AM

A Faribault man being held on charges of raping a 15-year-old member of the Girl Scout troop he helped supervise is now facing federal pornography charges stemming from involvement with the girl and her sister.

Michael Angelo Borromeo, 39, is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in U.S. District Court, where he is charged with seven counts of producing, receiving and possessing child pornography. He is now in federal custody, having been held in the Rice County jail since February on the rape and other pornography charges.

A former co-leader of a Girl Scout troop, Borromeo was arrested by Faribault police after the girl reported that he had come to her house in February when her parents were away, tore her clothes off, taped her mouth and raped her. She told investigators that he had previously taken photos of her and her 13-year-old sister naked, and that she had sent him photos of herself naked on a cell phone he had bought for her.

Police said Borromeo admitted having sexual contact with the girl at least five times within the past year at her home, but he denied using force. He also told police he was in love. According to the complaint, he told police: "Everything we were doing was wrong."

Federal prosecutors say Borromeo received child pornography files on his cell phone on Sept. 12, 2007, produced a video sex recording with a juvenile on June 21, 2008, and possessed child pornography that had been mailed, e-mailed or phoned to him on Feb. 12.

In addition to the federal case, he is facing a trial beginning Jan. 23 on 15 counts of solicitation and criminal sexual conduct that remain in Rice County. Pornography charges there were dropped when they became part of the federal indictment.

Borromeo was convicted of misdemeanor theft in Dakota County in 2005, but has no other criminal history.

Girl Scout troop leaders' backgrounds are checked for criminal activity, including sex offenses.

Lisa Hebert, director of marketing and communications for the Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys, described the case as "tragic, sad and very rare." She said she believes the charges are not directly linked to scouting.

Male volunteers are always paired with unrelated female volunteers, Hebert said. Women are by far the majority of troop leaders, and most male co-leaders are fathers of troop members.

Bill McAuliffe • 612-673-7646

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