Man charged with criminal sexual conduct involving 15-year-old in Otter Tail Co.

By: Devin Fry

OTTER TAIL COUNTY, Minn. (Valley News Live) – A 24-year-old Chisholm, Minnesota man faces a felony charge after allegedly having sexual contact with a 15-year-old girl in Otter Tail County.

Nathanial James Dally was charged Friday with third-degree criminal sexual conduct in Otter Tail County District Court. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a $30,000 fine.

According to the criminal complaint, Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office detectives began investigating in late January after receiving a report that a 23-year-old man named Nathan, who lived in Chisholm, about three hours away, was having sexual contact with a 15-year-old girl.

The complaint states the two met on Snapchat and communicated daily by text. They allegedly shared their locations with each other through the Life360 app.

On Jan. 12, an Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office sergeant made contact with a vehicle parked at a public lake access around 12:24 a.m. The sergeant observed someone moving from the back seat to the front seat. The complaint states Dally was not wearing a shirt and his pants were undone. A female was in the back seat covered in a blanket.

During a forensic interview, the victim initially denied any sexual contact but later acknowledged it had occurred. She told investigators she was uncomfortable discussing details at the police station and did not want to get Dally in trouble.

With parental consent, detectives reviewed messages on the victim’s phone. According to the complaint, messages between the two referenced multiple instances of sexual contact between December 2025 and Jan. 29, 2026.

When police attempted to secure Dally’s phone in Eveleth, an officer reported that it appeared Dally was wiping data from his phone.

In a phone interview with detectives on Jan. 30, Dally claimed the victim told him she was 17-years-old. When informed she was actually 15, he claimed he had been lied to. The complaint states Dally denied being in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship with the victim and said he was not planning to do anything with her until her 18th birthday.

However, Dally acknowledged the victim had sent explicit photographs of herself to him. According to the complaint, he said their messages might indicate plans for sexual contact, but claimed he did not plan on having any sexual contact with her.

The complaint states there is at least a 100-month age difference between the victim and Dally.

Dally is currently in custody at the Otter Tail County Jail.

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