Northwood man indicted on federal enticement of a minor charges

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Worth County man accused of enticing a Minnesota minor has now been indicted on federal charges.

Authorities alleged that 40-year-old Aaron Hendrikson of Northwood was chatting online with a 15-year-old last November, sending the teen explicit messages and a photo of sexual content, and gave the teen specific directions on meeting Hendrikson at his worksite in Clear Lake.

The Owatonna Police Department notified north-central Iowa law enforcement about the online activity, with Hendrikson being arrested in Clear Lake by an undercover agent. Hendrikson was originally facing a state charge of enticing a minor under the age of 16 for sexual purposes and had pleaded not guilty last December.

Last week that charge was dismissed after he had been indicted in US District Court on federal charges of attempted enticement of a minor and transfer of obscene material to a minor.

Hendrikson has pleaded not guilty to the new charges and is scheduled to be tried on January 4th in Cedar Rapids.