Trial for “Predator Sting” Case Canceled

The trial date that had been set for the defendant in a court case resulting from an amateur “predator sting” has been canceled and a plea agreement is pending. However, before the plea can move forward, the defendant must participate in what his attorney called a “specialized psycho-sexual evaluation.”Donald D. Boomgaarn Jr., age 25, of Fairbury, appeared in Jefferson County District Court on Thursday, August 7, 2025. David J.A. Bargen was the presiding judge.Boomgaarn is charged with attempted child enticement, a class 2 felony punishable by one to 50 years in prison. On October 16, 2024, the Jefferson County Dispatch received a call from a Houston-based vigilante organization called Predator Poachers Southeast Texas that conducts sting operations on adults who seek sexual activities with minors, advising that they had conducted such a sting operation in the Fairbury City Park and had an individual that they met there that they claimed was seeking to meet with a minor.All evidence that the organization had was turned over to the sheriff’s office, which initiated their own investigation into the matter. The defendant was previously represented by attorney Paul Payne. However, Payne left the law firm and the case was reassigned to Benjamin Murray.Payne previously expressed doubts in court about the legality of the charge. In a prior hearing, he pointed out that, according to Nebraska Revised Statute 28-320.02, in order to be found guilty, the person being “enticed” must be either 16 years of age or younger, or it must be a peace officer (law enforcement officer with arrest authority). According to County Attorney Joseph Casson, that is why the charge is attempted child enticement. If a trial were to go forward, the matter could prove to be a test case for Nebraska.Predator Poachers has conducted multiple stings in Nebraska but none of the related convictions have actually been for child enticement. Instead, in those cases, law enforcement conducted their own investigations and uncovered child pornography.That is not the case with Boombaarn, who has not been accused of possessing such prohibited materials.FJN spoke with Alex Rosen, one of the individuals from Predator Poachers, who said he has testified in prior trials and was prepared to do so in this case as well. Depositions with witnesses in Texas have been conducted via video. The case was continued until November 6 of this year to give Boomgaarn time to obtain the evaluation. No further details of the plea agreement were provided in order or were available in the court file as of press time.The defendant remains free on a $25,000 (10 percent) bond.

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