Minnesota police officer charged with sexually abusing young girl as a teen
A Minnesota police officer is on unpaid administrative leave after he was charged with sexually abusing a young girl when he was a teenager.
The Morrison County Attorney's Office says 33-year-old Andrew Eric Jensen, of St. Cloud, is charged with one county of second-degree criminal sexual conduct in connection to the alleged assaults that occurred between 2007 and 2008.
The criminal complaint states the victim told investigators with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension that Jensen, a Sauk Rapids police officer, abused her multiple times over several months when she was between 6 and 8 years old and he was between 16 and 18.
The victim said she told her family about the abuse last year, leading to a confrontation with Jensen in front of family members where he allegedly "admitted abusing" her and "then broke down and cried." The complaint states Jensen again admitted to the abuse a month later in another meeting with her family.
Sauk Rapids Police Chief Perry Beise told WCCO Jensen was hired as an officer in late 2023, about a year before the department was first informed of the alleged abuse.
Beise says Jensen was initially placed on paid administrative leave, but was stripped of his pay in February when the case was first sent to the attorney's office for charging consideration.
In a court hearing held in early April, a judge set Jensen's bail at $100,000 and set several conditions in place, such as barring him from any contact with the victim and restricting him from travel out of the state unless he obtains the court's approval.
If convicted, Jensen could face up to 25 years in prison.
To report concerns about child abuse, neglect or sexual abuse, the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families recommends contacting the county or Tribal Nation where the child lives. You can find a list of Minnesota's county and tribal child protection agencies by clicking here. If there is an immediate concern of harm to the child, the agency recommends calling 911.
