NEWTON – A Minnesota man was arrested in Newton yesterday after a months-long online investigation into online exploitation of a minor.

According to the Newton Police Department, the investigation started in October 2025, when 67-year-old Timothy Joseph Blanski of Spring Grove, Minnesota allegedly exchanged sexually explicit messages online with someone he believed was a minor. That person was a Newton Police detective working undercover.

In February 2026, investigators carried out search warrants and interviews in Spring Grove with help from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Houston County, Minnesota, Sheriff’s Office.

Blanski was arrested in Newton yesterday morning at around 9:13am and now faces several charges, including:

• Two counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor (Class B Felony)
• One count of Enticing a Minor Under 16 for a Sexual Purpose (Class D Felony) 
• One count of Grooming (Class D Felony)
• Four counts of Distributing Obscene Material to a Minor (Aggravated Misdemeanor)