Ex-Minnesota lawmaker Justin Eichorn, originally charged with child enticement, pleads guilty to attempted child porn possession
Justin Eichorn, the former Republican Minnesota state senator charged last year with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, appeared in a St. Paul federal court Thursday where he instead pleaded guilty to attempted possession of child pornography.
Eichorn would have faced a minimum of 10 years in prison if convicted of enticement. Instead, that charge was dropped and he agreed to plead guilty to a lesser charge, admitting in a sex trafficking sting operation that he asked someone he believed to have been a teenager to text him nude pictures.
Prosecutors allege Eichorn, who represented District 6 before resigning in March 2025, responded to an online prostitution ad that was part of a sting by Bloomington police and other law enforcement. Documents say he "intentionally hired or offered or agreed to hire an individual who [he] believes to be under the age of 18 years, but at least 16 years of age, to engage in sexual penetration or sexual contact."
Eichorn's attorney stated Thursday his client has no criminal history, is dealing with medical issues — including carpal tunnel syndrome — and has a divorce hearing coming up in June. The plaintiff's lawyer said those aren't real issues that apply to the case.
The judge said he's asking for a sentencing date as soon as possible so there isn't any delay. Eichorn will be held in Sherburne County Jail until that hearing.
The complaint says he was communicating with undercover officers, who said they began receiving messages from Eichorn and asked for pictures multiple times, including "a naught [sic] pic of you to show me your [sic] real." Eichorn allegedly arranged to meet with the girl in Bloomington, which is where he was arrested.
Eichorn's attorneys attempted to get the charge dismissed, but were unsuccessful. They argued the charge was "vindictively motivated by personal animus" and "that it was motivated solely by the fact that the government is unable to secure a more significant period of incarceration for Mr. Eichorn in the initial prosecution by the Hennepin County Attorney's Office."
County authorities initially charged Eichorn, but dropped the case after the feds filed their own. The county attorney's office said this is "common practice." Other motions from the defense to suppress statements and evidence were also denied.
Republican Sen. Keri Heintzeman won a special election to fill Eichorn's seat in April.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
NOTE: The original airdate of the video attached to this article is April 21, 2025.
If you know of a child who may have been a victim of exploitation, call the National Center for Missing or Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678 or visit the website.