Minnesota state Sen. Justin Eichorn allegedly arranged to meet someone in Bloomington he thought was a teenage girl for sex and instead was arrested by police, officials announced Tuesday.
In the wake of Eichorn’s arrest, the Senate Republican Caucus said in a statement, “We are shocked by these reports, and this alleged conduct demands an immediate resignation. Justin has a difficult road ahead, and he needs to focus on his family.”
Over in the House, Speaker Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, and Leader Harry Niska, R-Ramsey, said in a joint statement: “Given the seriousness of the charges, Senator Eichorn should resign. While he is entitled to due process, we must hold legislators to a higher standard.”
Eichorn, R-Grand Rapids, remains jailed Tuesday afternoon on suspicion of soliciting a minor for sex. Charges against him are pending.
Messages were left with Eichorn’s office seeking comment about the arrest.
Eichorn talked on Monday with someone he believed was a 16-year-old girl but turned out to be a police detective.
The detective arranged to meet with Eichorn at a location near the 8300 block of Normandale Avenue, not far from various public parks and hotels. Eichorn arrived in a pickup truck and was arrested without incident outside of his vehicle by a uniformed police officer, according to authorities.
Police Chief Booker Hodges, in his announcement of the arrest, invoked a jail analogy when he said, “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.”