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Fmr. MN state senator Justin Eichorn to be sentenced Wednesday
Former Minnesota state senator Justin Eichorn will be sentenced Wednesday for trying to solicit a minor. After being arrested in an undercover sting in March 2025, he was originally charged with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor for trying to solicit someone he believed was a 17-year-old girl. He eventually pleaded guilty to a lesser count of attempted possession of child pornography.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Former Minnesota state senator Justin Eichorn will be sentenced in federal court Wednesday morning in relation to his arrest in a Bloomington sting when he was accused of trying to solicit a prostitute he believed to be a 17-year-old girl.
Eichorn faces sentencing
The backstory:
Eichorn was federally charged with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, which carried a minimum sentence of 10 years, but he entered a guilty plea in May to a lesser charge of attempted possession of child pornography.
Sentencing guidelines call for between 15 and 21 months behind bars, but prosecutors are seeking a sentence of 60 months (5 years) followed by a lifetime of supervision. In the prosecution's request for the upward variance, federal prosecutors said, "The Court’s sentence must clearly communicate to the defendant—and to anyone who would victimize children for sexual gratification—that these crimes are serious and will be commensurately punished."
The other side:
Eichorn’s defense attorney calls the prosecution's recommendation "remarkable," noting in a court filing it's two and a half times the length of sentences imposed on other federal defendants arrested in the same sting operation.
Eichorn’s attorney says the 42-year-old former senator is not a "dangerous offender" and is asking for a sentence of time served followed by five years of supervised release.
What's next:
Sentencing is scheduled to take place at 10 a.m. on Wednesday.
Bloomington police sting
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Sen. Eichorn arrested for minor solicitation
Minnesota Senator Justin Eichorn was arrested for allegedly soliciting a minor for sex in Bloomington earlier this month. FOX 9?s Mary McGuire has the details so far.
Dig deeper:
Eichorn was arrested and charged in March 2025 for a sting in Bloomington where officers posed as teen sex workers online. Police said Eichorn responded to an ad and exchanged text messages with someone he believed to be a 17-year-old girl.
In the text messages, police said Eichorn negotiated rates, asked about not using a condom, and arranged a meetup. Police arrested Eichorn when he showed up to meet with the girl. In his pickup truck they found cash and a condom.
The Source: This story uses previous FOX 9 reporting and information from court records.