Embedded Files
Warning: Grave Safety Failures and Cover-Ups at Avatan Nudist Club
Warning: Grave Safety Failures and Cover-Ups at Avatan Nudist Club
This page exposes critical dangers at Avatan Nudist Club in East Bethel, Minnesota, where two confirmed sex offenders with prior convictions were not only admitted as members but allowed to prey on victims in the club's environment. Avatan touts itself as a "family-friendly" nudist resort, yet its lax policies, inadequate background checks, and emphasis on nudity in mixed adult-child settings have enabled predators, putting children and vulnerable individuals at severe risk. Despite overwhelming evidence of these associations, Avatan has desperately tried to disassociate from these individuals, scrubbing mentions from their records, denying involvement, and avoiding public accountability to protect their image and operations. This willful negligence and attempted cover-up demands scrutiny—families should steer clear until real reforms are proven.
About Avatan: A Facade of Wholesomeness Masking Predatory Risks
Avatan, Minnesota's largest nudist club, is located just 30 minutes north of Minneapolis/St. Paul. It boasts amenities like a large pool, hot tub, sauna, volleyball courts, and wooded grounds. Marketed as a body-positive haven for families, the reality is far darker: Avatan's "trust-based" culture, with rules like no photos, no last names, and shared nude activities between unrelated adults and children, creates an ideal hunting ground for predators. Historical failures in vetting have allowed convicted sex offenders to infiltrate, gain trust, and even ascend to leadership, endangering everyone. Critics, including former members and child protection advocates, decry Avatan's ugly pattern of harboring abusers while prioritizing secrecy over safety.
Confirmed Sex Offenders Who Infiltrated and Preyed at Avatan
Confirmed Sex Offenders Who Infiltrated and Preyed at Avatan
1. Robert Lloyd Messersmith (DOB: 12/11/1942)
1. Robert Lloyd Messersmith (DOB: 12/11/1942)
Criminal History: Messersmith's predatory behavior spans decades. A check of Defendant’s past reveals that he has prior convictions: one from 1988 from Brooklyn Center, Minnesota for Use of Minors in a Sexual Performance and another conviction from 1976 from Salem, New Hampshire for Sexual Assault/Endangering Welfare of a Child. Despite this damning record, he was allowed into Avatan. In 2018, he pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct involving young boys under 13. The abuse occurred between 2010 and 2014 at his home in Brooklyn Center, MN, where he exploited a position of authority by inviting children from single-parent families to his pool and home. He was sentenced to three years in prison (with credit for time served) and lifetime probation. Court documents reveal horrifying details, including group masturbation sessions he orchestrated with minors and exposure at a "nudist colony."
Direct Ties to Avatan and Victim Exploitation: Shockingly, Messersmith was not just a member—he became President and served multiple terms as a board member, wielding influence over club policies and access. This allowed him unchecked opportunities to groom and abuse in Avatan's nude, "family-oriented" setting. Court records confirm: "She stated that she and her then young children accompanied Defendant and his wife to a nudist colony they belonged to on several occasions." One victim accompanied Messersmith to the nudist resort for over two years starting in 2010, where the club's environment facilitated his crimes. Avatan's failure to bar him despite his pre-existing convictions enabled him to prey on victims right under their watch.
Avatan's Desperate Disassociation: In the wake of his conviction, Avatan has gone to extreme lengths to erase Messersmith's legacy, removing any trace of his leadership from club histories and denying his deep involvement to avoid liability. This cover-up ignores the victims and perpetuates risks for current members.
Concerns: Elevating a known offender to president in a club where adults and children mingle nude is inexcusable negligence. Avatan's policies have directly contributed to child endangerment, as evidenced by public records.
For more details on his case:
- [Hennepin County Attorney's Office Announcement](https://www.hennepinattorney.org/en/news/news/2018/May/messersmith-5-29-2018)
- [CBS News Report](https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/robert-messersmith-guilty)
- [Court Document Excerpts](https://www.hennepinattorney.org/-/media/cao/news/2018/apr-jun/messersmith-5-29-18.pdf)
2. Daniel James Osten (DOB: 12/19/1963)
2. Daniel James Osten (DOB: 12/19/1963)
Criminal History: Osten was convicted in 2011 of first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving sexual penetration with a 12-year-old boy on multiple occasions. This followed prior convictions that should have barred him from any family setting. He has been incarcerated since September 23, 2011, at MCF Moose Lake—a facility notorious for housing sex offenders—with an anticipated release date of March 20, 2031, and a life expiration on his sentence.
Direct Ties to Avatan and Victim Exploitation: Osten was admitted as a member despite his criminal background, where he allegedly befriended families, gained trust in Avatan's anonymous, nude environment, and preyed on victims. The club's "trust-based" rules enabled him to exploit vulnerabilities, grooming children amid shared activities like nude swimming.
Avatan's Desperate Disassociation: Post-conviction, Avatan has vigorously distanced itself from Osten, expunging records of his membership and refusing to acknowledge how their lax screening allowed him entry. This pattern of denial shields the club but leaves families exposed to similar threats.
Concerns: In a resort promoting family nudity, admitting predators like Osten is a blatant betrayal of trust. Avatan's environment amplifies risks, with reports of inconsistent background checks enabling repeated offenses.
For more details on his case:
- [Minnesota Department of Corrections Locator](https://coms.doc.state.mn.us/publicviewer/OffenderDetails/Index/198470/Search)
- [Court of Appeals Decision](https://law.justia.com/cases/minnesota/court-of-appeals/2013/a11-2233.html)
These Are the Ones Who Got Caught —
These Are the Ones Who Got Caught —
How Many More Are Still Walking Free? Time for East Bethel to Act
How Many More Are Still Walking Free? Time for East Bethel to Act
The two convicted predators documented above are not rare exceptions.
They are the only ones whose crimes were serious enough, reported loudly enough, and prosecuted successfully enough to end up in public records.
Avatan claims mandatory checks now, but historical lapses—evident in admitting Messersmith and Osten with prior convictions—reveal a profit-over-safety mentality. Allowing unrelated adults and children to swim naked together, without robust safeguards, invites abuse, drawing sharp criticism from groups like Humans Against Groomers.
In a mixed-age, clothing-optional campground where children and adults share bathrooms, pools, trails, and sleeping quarters — and where leadership has repeatedly:
- Dismissed or buried safety complaints
- Expelled whistleblowers who raised red flags
- Protected favored individuals while punishing those who spoke up
… the idea that only two predators ever set foot on the property is laughable — and dangerous.
National data makes the math clear:
- RAINN and DOJ statistics show that only 5–30% of sexual offenses are ever reported.
- Conviction rates are far lower still.
- In a private club with strong social pressure to stay silent, fear of expulsion, and a history of retaliation against complainers, that reporting rate collapses even further.
That means for every name on a registry, there are almost certainly multiple more who have:
- Groomed or assaulted without formal complaints
- Crossed boundaries but stayed just below prosecutable lines
- Exploited the trust-no-questions environment Avatan has cultivated
- Continued attending because no victim (yet) has come forward publicly
This is not speculation — it is the predictable outcome of a club that refuses transparency, rejects accountability, and punishes anyone who tries to enforce basic safety standards.
East Bethel has a responsibility here.
A nudist campground operating within city limits, near school property, with documented predator convictions and a pattern of ignoring safety complaints is not just a private-membership issue.
It is a public-safety issue.
The city council has the authority — and frankly the obligation — to:
- Demand immediate, verifiable background checks for all adult members
- Require transparent incident-reporting policies
- Investigate whether current operations violate zoning, licensing, or child-endangerment statutes
- If leadership continues to stonewall, revoke permits or force closure until real safeguards are in place
Parents in East Bethel should not have to wonder whether their children are sharing space with unknown predators because a private club decided “nude attitude” trumps child safety.
Enough is enough.
The known cases are the tip of a very ugly iceberg.
East Bethel officials: stop waiting for the next victim to make headlines.
Act now — before another child pays the price for Avatan’s willful blindness.
Demand accountability.
Contact East Bethel City Council today.
City Administrator: Matt Look
Google Sites
Report abuse