Minnesota State Trooper Accused Of Horrific Crimes Involving Infant

ST. PAUL, MN — A Minnesota State Patrol trooper is facing a felony state charge after investigators say he sexually assaulted an infant at his home in Shakopee, filmed the abuse, and shared the footage as part of a disturbing online relationship.

Jeremy Francis Plonski, 29, is charged in Scott County with first-degree criminal sexual conduct. If convicted, he faces up to 30 years in prison and a $40,000 fine.

He is also facing separate federal charges for producing and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), crimes that carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison.

Prosecutors at both the state and federal levels are pursuing charges to ensure accountability and maximize sentencing in what authorities are calling one of the most disturbing child abuse cases in recent memory.

Pelonski remains in federal custody at the Sherburne County Jail.

On April 30, FBI special agents in Houston, Texas, began forensically analyzing a cellphone connected to a CSAM investigation. They identified Plonski as the person who produced the material, according to the criminal complaint.

One of the recovered videos depicts Plonski sexually assaulting an identified female infant, according to the criminal complaint. Both Plonski and the victim are clearly visible in the footage, authorities said.

That same day, a Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension special agent assisted FBI agents in interviewing Plonski following his arrest.

Plonski admitted he had been in a "dominant/submissive relationship" with a user on the social media app "Kik," where he took the "submissive" role, the criminal complaint states.

Plonski told investigators that the Kik user instructed him to send videos of himself performing sexual acts on the infant, according to investigators. He admitted to recording and sending “four or five” such videos, all filmed at his Shakopee residence, authorities said.

FBI and BCA agents later executed a search warrant at Plonski’s home and confirmed it matched the interior seen in the videos, authorities said.