Four New Federal Charges Filed Against Minnesota State Trooper in Child Pornography Case

(KNSI) — A federal grand jury has now indicted Minnesota State Trooper Jeremy Plonski on four counts related to the production and distribution of child pornography.

Plonski is accused of creating “four or five” videos of himself sexually assaulting a child and sending them to someone via a social media app. He was previously charged by a federal complaint with a single count of producing child pornography and was caught when investigators with the FBI were conducting a forensic analysis of a cell phone and found the videos. The 29-year-old Plonski was arrested along with 200 other suspects as part of the nationwide “Operation Restore Justice”. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi called it an “unprecedented” crackdown on child predators.

The new charges are on top of state charges for first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a victim under the age of 14.

Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick says Plonski took an oath to protect and serve our community, and “while donning his uniform, Plonski committed one of the most vile and predatory offenses imaginable. This is abhorrent—to Minnesota as a whole and to our law enforcement community in particular. I am proud of the swift and decisive action of law enforcement, who responded immediately and worked cooperatively to take Plonski into custody.”

Plonski was ordered to remain in custody while awaiting trial. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and could receive up to life.

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