Trial Set for “Predator Sting” Case

A trial date has been set for the defendant in a court case resulting from an amateur “predator sting.”Donald D. Boomgaarn Jr., age 25, of Fairbury, appeared in Jefferson County District Court on Thursday, May 1, 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, who asked the trial be set for three days.The trial is scheduled for September 23-25, 2025. The deadline for any plea agreement is August 7, 2025.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 Jefferson County Attorney Joseph Casson, that is why the charge is attempted child enticement. The matter may 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 Donald Boombaarn, who has not been accused of possessing such prohibited materials. Because some of the witnesses are in Texas, depositions will need to be conducted via video.FJN has spoke with Alex Rosen, one of the individuals from Predator Poachers, who he said testified in prior trials and was prepared to do so in this case as well.The defendant remains free on a $25,000 (10 percent) bond.

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