A Minnesota State Trooper, Jeremy Francis Plonski, was charged by criminal complaint today in U.S. District Court with one count of production of child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick announced.
Plonski has been arrested on a federal warrant and remains in custody pending a detention hearing. If convicted, Plonski faces a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen years in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick condemned the alleged actions, stating, “The U.S. Attorney’s Office has zero tolerance for public officials who violate federal laws—particularly those laws that protect vulnerable children from sexual abuse.”
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She added that Plonski’s alleged actions were a “gross betrayal of public trust” and “abhorrent—to Minnesota as a whole and to our law enforcement community in particular.” Kirkpatrick commended the swift and cooperative response of law enforcement in taking Plonski into custody.
Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis echoed these sentiments, calling the alleged conduct “horrifying and a gross betrayal of public trust.”
Winston emphasized that law enforcement officers are sworn to protect the most vulnerable and that such crimes committed by those in authority damage community trust. He affirmed the commitment of the FBI and its partners to investigate and prosecute anyone who preys on children, regardless of their position.
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BCA Superintendent Drew Evans reiterated the commitment of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to work with federal, state, and local partners to identify and hold accountable those who sexually abuse children.
“We will pursue anyone who wishes to harm children in our communities,” Evans stated.
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