Ex-Minnesota state senator Justin Eichorn set to be sentenced in federal child sex trafficking case

Former Republican Minnesota state senator Justin Eichorn is expected to be sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty to attempted possession of child pornography following a 2025 child sex sting arrest.

Federal prosecutors are seeking a five-year prison sentence for Eichorn, 42, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release.   

Eichorn, of Grand Rapids, was arrested in March 2025 in Bloomington after undercover police officers, posing as a 17-year-old girl online, arranged to meet in the city for sex.

According to the federal criminal complaint, Eichorn texted a number found in an online prostitution ad and asked about prices of various sex acts. The ad was placed by the Bloomington Police Department earlier that month amid a targeted operation to combat commercial sex trafficking.

Court documents show when officers told Eichorn the girl's age in a text exchange, he responded by noting the age of consent in Minnesota is 16. During his arrest, officers found $130 cash, a condom and two cellphones in his vehicle.

He was initially charged with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, but that count was dropped in a May plea deal where he admitted he tried to pay for sex with a minor and pleaded guilty to attempted child porn possession because he asked the girl to text him nude photos. Eichorn was first charged in Hennepin County, but prosecutors dropped their case when federal charges were announced.  

Eichorn was first elected in 2016 to represent Minnesota's Sixth District. He resigned days after his arrest amid bipartisan calls for his ouster.

This story will be updated.

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.