Minnesota BCA investigates Montevideo police chief after woman gets restraining order

The 18-year-old woman said she and Adam Christopher had sent hundreds of text messages starting when she was 17, but his messages became sexual this month.

November 28, 2018 at 5:49AM
Buford “Bucky” Rogers, 24, of Montevideo, was arrested and charged Friday with being a felon in possession of a firearm after federal authorities found suspected pipe bombs, Molotov cocktails and guns during a search of his family’s mobile home. Here, Montevideo police chief Adam Christopher talked about Buford Rogers and his family. Christopher said he did not believe Buford and his family were white supremists. ](DAVID JOLES/STARTRIBUNE)
Montevideo Police Chief Adam Christopher (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

State investigators are looking into whether a rural Minnesota police chief engaged in criminal activity by sending sexual messages to a young woman this month.

A restraining order against Montevideo Police Chief Adam Christopher was approved by the Chippewa County District Court on Nov. 15. In it, an 18-year-old woman said she and Christopher had sent hundreds of text messages to one another starting when she was 17, but his messages became sexual this month.

The city has launched its own investigation into the complaint and has asked the state's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to investigate if any criminal activity took place, City Manager Steve Jones said Tuesday. If no criminal charges are warranted, the city could still take disciplinary action against Christopher.

"We'll certainly do our best to investigate them," Jones said of the complaint.

Christopher went on personal sick leave Nov. 19 and it's unclear when he will return to work, Jones said.

In the restraining order, the 18-year-old said Christopher is the father of a taekwondo classmate and a Facebook friend, and they began messaging each other when she was 17.

"I usually conversed with him because I didn't know how else to respond," she wrote, adding that his messages became sexual this month. "He stated that I am 'tempting. … Behave, or I will come up there and cuff you.' "

In another message, he said he would stalk her if he was near her home, she said. The restraining order prohibits Christopher from contacting her or being near where she lives or works for two years. "He is in a position of authority and could harm me," she wrote.

Christopher has been with the department since 2001. He's been the city's police chief since 2006, according to the department's website. Jones said no other formal complaints have been filed against Christopher.

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about the writer

Kelly Smith

News team leader

Kelly Smith is a news editor, supervising a team of reporters covering Minnesota social services, transportation issues and higher education. She previously worked as a news reporter for 16 years.

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