Thanks to Inver Grove Ford and Blue Sky Bookkeeping for their support.
Dakota County investigators charged a former West St. Paul resident with possession of child sexual abuse materials. The former resident, Ryan Weyandt, faces five counts of possessing pornographic work involving minors.
- Timeline: The criminal complaint notes five instances between March and November of last year. Police executed a search warrant at Weyandt’s Apple Valley home last November, seizing electronic devices that reportedly had thousands of images and videos depicting sexual exploitation of children. Prosecutors charged Weyandt last month after learning he had listed his house for sale and posted to social media about moving out of the country.
- Local connection: Weyandt moved to Apple Valley last year, though police received a tip that an IP address associated with his former address in West St. Paul was accessing the explicit material.
- Statement: During the search, Weyandt reportedly told police he was not proud and blamed it on drug use. “Maybe this is the kick in the ass to get it fixed or treated,” he said.
- Other issues: Weyandt is the former CEO of the nonprofit LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance. He resigned in December and is in an ongoing legal fight with the organization. Weyandt was also at the center of a 2021 battle with the City of West St. Paul over a Black Lives Matter mural on his fence, a story that drew international attention.
Editor’s note: This story is based on police accounts available at the time, which may change and can inherently give a one-sided report of the incident.
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