Kandiyohi County Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child Pornography

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Kandiyohi County man has pleaded guilty to producing sexually explicit images of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to the defendant’s guilty plea and court documents, in November 2022, Andrew John Groen, 35, contacted a minor victim using the messaging application TextMe. Groen, who knew the victim was a minor, identified himself in messages as a 19-year-old man named “Tyler.” On multiple occasions, Groen coerced the minor to send sexually explicit images. Groen also sent the minor victim obscene images and links to pornography, and encouraged the minor victim to have sex with an adult man identified in messages.

Groen pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge Jerry W. Blackwell to one count of production and attempted production of child pornography. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Willmar Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary A. Taylor is prosecuting the case.