A Minot man has been sentenced in North Central District Court after entering an Alford Plea to charges of corruption of and luring minors by computer.

Matthew William Brooks, 38, Minot, entered the Alford plea in Minot on Dec. 22, pleading guilty to the two Class C felonies, a type of plea where a defendant maintains their innocence while conceding the prosecution has a high likelihood of being successful in achieving a guilty verdict at trial.

According to court documents, Brooks was charged after Minot police investigated a report on Sept. 25, 2024, to locate a juvenile who had been taken to a Minot hospital three days prior and released to a parent. Investigators had information indicating the victim was in a relationship with Brooks, who claimed during a later interview that he “backed off” after finding out the victim’s age.

The victim was eventually located, and a data extraction of their cellular device discovered a conversation thread from the victim’s cell phone data, which indicated Brooks was aware of the victim’s age and still pursued a sexual relationship.

District Judge Steven Lautt sentenced Brooks to a concurrent sentence on both counts of five years with all but one year and one day suspended. Brooks was given credit for 68 days served.

Brooks will be required to complete five years of supervised probation upon release, register as a sex offender, and have no contact with the victim.

He was also assessed $525 in court fines and fees.