(Des Moines) A man is in custody in Cass County on a grooming charge.
Michael Lee Herteen, 50, was arrested and booked by the Windsor Heights Police Department on April 15 for Grooming, a Class D Felony, out of Cass County.
A criminal complaint filed in the case states that the Atlantic Police Department was conducting online undercover operations where an officer was posing as a 15-year-old female in February 2026. During this time, the undercover officer (UC) interacted with a social media post of Herteen’s.
The complaint alleges that Herteen then directly messaged the UC and began a correspondence. Records state that the UC told Herteen they were 15 years old, and that despite this, Herteen continued the conversations.
Herteen has been transferred to the Cass County Jail and is being held on a $50,000 cash bond.
(Photo courtesy of the Cass County Jail)
