Eden Prairie man arrested for multiple child sex crimes faces federal charges

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - An Eden Prairie man arrested in two undercover child sex stings and charged with the sexual assault of a 15-year-old boy is now facing federal charges. 

Michael Gillis faces federal charges

What's new:

Michael Gillis was arrested during two undercover child sex stings in 2024, one in Bloomington and the other in Florida, and proceeded to post bail in both cases. He was then arrested and charged in March 2025 for the alleged sexual assault of a 15-year-old boy in Eden Prairie. He once again posted bail, and Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges said he reached out to federal partners for assistance. 

On Friday, prosecutors announced federal charges against Gillis, including one count of coercion and enticement of a minor and one count of production of child pornography, in relation to the March incident. 

READ MORE: Eden Prairie man nabbed in sex stings now charged with child rape

Hodges addressed Gillis’ case on Monday while speaking about a recent minor sex sting, which resulted in the arrest of 14 men, including former Minnesota State Senator Justin Eichorn. 

"It's just one of these things where we cannot have people like the predator Mr. Gillis getting out of jail. I don't know how this guy gets out of jail, as much times as he has… and he actually followed through and raped a 15-year-old boy. This should have never occurred," Chief Hodges said at the press conference.

Boy sexually assaulted in Eden Prairie

The backstory:

Court records allege Gillis exchanged messages and photos with a 15-year-old boy in early March. The teenager told Gillis, who was using a fake name, that he was "young" and still in high school. Gillis responded that he "like[s] younger guys" and that he was "okay with it." 

Gillis arranged for an Uber driver to drop the minor off because he was too young to drive. The teen was then sexually assaulted at Gillis’ home, and he told authorities he escaped from there after Gillis fell asleep, court documents allege. 

What they're saying:

"As this case demonstrates, child predators are clear and present dangers to the children of Minnesota," Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick said in a statement. "We have federal tools at our disposal—including significant mandatory minimum sentences—that appropriately take predators like this off the street for decades.  As Acting U.S. Attorney, I have directed my office to continue to prioritize these abhorrent crimes—to send a strong deterrent message and to protect our community."

Undercover sex stings in Minnesota, Florida 

Dig deeper:

Bloomington police arrested Gillis in an undercover child sex sting on Aug. 7, 2024, after they said he traveled to meet who he thought was a 15-year-old. Less than two months later, on Oct. 5, 2024, Gillis surfaced in Polk County, Florida, where he encountered Chris Hansen on the show Takedown, and deputies arrested him in a similar undercover sting. 

Shortly after his second arrest, Chief Hodges warned the public about Gillis. 

"This guy is a predator, and what he did when he went to Florida – he learned from his Minnesota experience and tried to take those tactics to Florida, and tried to change it up a little bit, but, nonetheless, he was arrested," he said in a video posted on YouTube.

What's next:

Gillis remains in custody at the Sherburne County Jail for the federal charges. His next hearing for the Hennepin County charges is scheduled for April.