Man Pleads Guilty to Coercion and Enticement of a Minor

ST. PAUL - United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today that Jeffrey Thomas Simon, 39, pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor.

Simon pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jerry W. Blackwell on July 30, 2026, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison.

According to court documents, between on or about August 2023 to January 2025, Simon knowingly used a messaging application to persuade, include, entice, and coerce a minor to engage in sexual activity. Throughout this time, Simon knowingly coerced Victim 1, who in August 2023 was a 13-year-old female, to engage in sexual activity. Simon additionally said to Victim 1 that if she ever left or reported him, that he would kill either himself or her. In January 2025, the parent of Victim 1 contacted law enforcement again to now report that Simon had sexually assaulted Victim 1.

When investigators searched Simon's phone, they found additional conversations on a messaging application between him and other persons who self-identified as minor females.

"There is no higher priority than protecting children, and today's guilty plea highlights my office's unwavering commitment to ensuring offenders are held accountable," said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Anoka County Sheriff's Office, North Saint Paul Police Department, Roseville Police Department, Fridley Police Department, FBI, with assistance from other local law enforcement partners.

Assistant United States Attorney Kristian Weir is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney's Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.