GOP Senator Arrested in Underage Sex Sting
A Minnesota state senator was arrested in a police sting operation for allegedly soliciting sex from a minor, Bloomington authorities said.
BREAKING: Minnesota Senator Justin Eichorn, 40, arrested for allegedly soliciting a 16 year old for prostitutıon. He's facing felony charges. Eichorn is Married with 4 kids. pic.twitter.com/ate2d4glxf
— TaraBull (@TaraBull808) March 18, 2025
State Sen. Justin Eichorn (R), 40, was taken into custody Monday evening after arranging to meet a girl he believed was 16 years old for sex. According to Bloomington police, Eichorn arrived in his pickup truck at the agreed-upon location near the 8300 block of Normandale Boulevard, where uniformed officers arrested him without incident.
Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges confirmed the arrest and issued a warning about his department’s stance on such crimes.
“As a 40-year-old man, if you come to the Orange Jumpsuit District looking to have sex with someone’s child, you can expect that we are going to lock you up,” Hodges said, according to Pioneer Press.
Eichorn was booked into the Bloomington Police Department jail and later transferred to the Hennepin County Adult Detention Center. Authorities stated that felony charges for soliciting a minor for prostitution are pending and could be filed as early as Wednesday, according to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
Soliciting a minor for prostitution is classified as a felony in Minnesota, carrying significant legal penalties if convicted.
Following Eichorn’s arrest, Republican leaders in Minnesota quickly called for his resignation.
“We are shocked by these reports, and this alleged conduct demands an immediate resignation,” the Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus said in a statement, according to the Daily Mail. “Justin has a difficult road ahead, and he needs to focus on his family.”
Minnesota House Republicans echoed the call for him to step down.
“Given the seriousness of the charges, Sen. Eichorn should resign,” House Speaker Lisa Demuth (R-Cold Spring) said, according to Pioneer Press. “While he is entitled to due process, we must hold legislators to a higher standard.”
Democratic lawmakers also condemned Eichorn and called for his immediate resignation.
“The felony allegation against Senator Eichorn is deeply disturbing and raises serious questions that will need to be answered by the court, as well as his caucus and constituents,” Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy (DFL-St. Paul) said.
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party Executive Director Heidi Kraus Kaplan also issued a statement calling Eichorn a threat to public safety.
“No one who solicits children belongs anywhere near public office or the State Capitol,” Kaplan said.
Eichorn was first elected to the Minnesota Senate in 2016 and represents the Grand Rapids area. According to his official biography, he has a background in business and is the third generation working at his family’s outdoor store in Grand Rapids. He is married and has four children.
His arrest also comes just days after he introduced a controversial bill seeking to classify “Trump derangement syndrome” as a mental illness. The bill defined the condition as the “acute onset of paranoia” in response to President Donald Trump’s policies and presidency, as TTOA previously reported.
BREAKING: Minnesota Senate Republicans introduce a bill seeking to classify “Trump Derangement Syndrome” (TDS) as a recognized mental illness. pic.twitter.com/KJuGqhyKTc
— Resist the Mainstream (@ResisttheMS) March 15, 2025
It suggested that symptoms could include “verbal expressions of intense hostility” toward Trump or acts of aggression against his supporters and their symbols.
Eichorn has not made any public statements regarding his arrest. It remains unclear whether he plans to resign, though calls for him to do so continue from both parties.
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