A former Minnesota State Patrol trooper was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison Tuesday for repeatedly sexually assaulting a toddler girl and recording the abuse. The sentence was imposed against 31-year-old Jeremy Francis Plonski, who lives in Shakopee.
Plonski pleaded guilty on October 8, 2025, according to the Pioneer Press. The case involved production and distribution charges.
According to the Pioneer Press, Plonski created 23 videos between April and October 2023. He had contact with someone he met on Telegram.
Uniform and Firearm Visible in Some Recordings
Plonski became a trooper in 2022 and was placed on leave after the allegations surfaced.
Before joining the State Patrol, Plonski served in the Minnesota National Guard beginning in 2013 as an infantryman with C Company, 1st Battalion, 194th Armor Regiment, completing overseas deployments to Egypt in 2016-2017 and to Kuwait and Syria in 2021-2022, according to KFGO. The Pioneer Press also reported on the case.
Case Traced Back to a Houston Forensic Investigation
The case involved a federal investigation and a Minnesota State Patrol internal affairs investigation and led to charges against Plonski.
Following his arrest, Plonski was held at the Sherburne County Jail in Elk River, a contract facility that frequently houses federal detainees in Minnesota, per the same KFGO report. A federal indictment followed.
State Charges Remain Separate From Federal Case
State charges were also reported in Scott County.
The Minnesota State Patrol conducted an internal affairs investigation.
According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, its independent Internal Affairs and Affirmative Action office processes and investigates complaints against DPS employees. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety says complaints of misconduct against its employees can be filed by email at [email protected] or by calling 651-201-7000.
Officials Denounce Betrayal of Public Trust
The Minnesota State Patrol said that protecting vulnerable people is part of its duty and that those who violate that duty have no place in the organization or profession.
Federal officials also commented on the case.
Earlier reports covered Plonski's federal and state charges. Tuesday's sentencing included a 27-year prison term.
According to the United States Sentencing Commission, 1,432 of the 66,662 cases reported in fiscal year 2025 involved child pornography, and such offenses have increased 18% since fiscal year 2021. According to the United States Sentencing Commission, federal production offenders received an average sentence of almost 23 years, or 275 months, in fiscal year 2019.
