Judge orders Minnesota state trooper charged with producing child pornography to remain jailed

A U.S. District judge has ordered a Minnesota state trooper charged federally with producing child pornography to remain jailed ahead of trial.

Jeremy Plonski, 29, of Shakopee, was charged May 1 as part of the FBI's sweeping Operation Restore Justice investigating child sex abuse. In her ruling filed Tuesday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright cited several reasons for the detainment, including Plonski's own waiver of a detention hearing, that he poses a "serious" flight risk and detention is justified to ensure the safety of the community given the nature of the allegations.

The order calls for Plonski, who's been held in Sherburne County jail since his arrest, to be committed to the custody of the attorney general for confinement in a corrections facility.

The judge also cited the additional, related, state case brought against Plonski in Scott County District Court that was filed shortly after the federal abuse case opened.

A criminal complaint outlining the local first-degree criminal sexual conduct charge alleges investigators uncovered several videos on a cellphone showing Plonski sexually assaulting an infant girl. In interviews following his arrest, Plonski said he sent the videos of the assault to a person he was in a relationship with on the social media application Kik, the complaint states. Plonski estimated sending "four or five" videos to the person in 2022 then stopped.

If convicted on the federal charge, Plonski faces a minimum of 15 years in prison. His state charges carry a prison sentence between 12-30 years.

The FBI said the alleged abuse cases uncovered during Operation Restore Justice, "underscore the disturbing nature of the crimes," specifically how Plonski is accused of producing the sexual abuse videos while wearing his uniforms.

Officials with the Minnesota State Patrol, who called the allegations "appalling and indefensible" said Plonski is on leave and an internal investigation is underway. He has been with the State Patrol since 2022.