Manchester’s online sting leads to another arrest for online grooming
January 8th, 2026 by Ric Hanson
(Radio Iowa) – Police in Manchester conducting an online sting have recently arrested and accused five men of grooming a minor for sex. A 52-year-old central Iowa man was arrested Monday for attempting to meet with an undercover officer in Manchester, an officer who he believed was a minor. Police say over the past few weeks, Michael Patrick Wiezorek had groomed and sent a list of messages to the undercover officer.
Police say he traveled from Nevada, rented a hotel room, and then traveled to the meet-up location. In November, four other men were arrested as part of the online predator sting. Manchester Police say they’re still evaluating cases and working toward other arrests.
Manchester Police started the undercover operation in September. An officer created social media profiles portraying a 15-year-old in an attempt to catch online predators. Manchester’s Police Chief is hosting a forum at the city’s public library on Thursday, January 22nd at 5 p.m. to advise parents about how to protect their children’s safety online.

