On December 29, 2025, police received a report regarding prior sexual abuse of a 16-year-old girl, referred to herein as “Child.” Child protection had initially received the report from a National Suicide Hotline operator, who reported that CRAIG ELLIS TIGERMAN ([DOB redacted]), had called the hotline and reported that he sexually abused a child for 12 years. The child was identified as Child, who is the biological granddaughter of TIGERMAN’s wife. TIGERMAN left his residence after his wife found out about the abuse.
TIGERMAN told the suicide hotline worker that he had inappropriately kissed and fondled his granddaughter starting when she was four years old. He also stated that the only thing he didn’t do to Child was take away her virginity. A detective contacted Child’s mother, who stated that the week before Child had seen a therapist regarding an eating disorder. Child disclosed to her therapist that she was sexually abused by TIGERMAN. The therapist told Child’s father about the disclosure, which is how Child’s mother learned of it.
Child’s mother then contacted her mother (TIGERMAN’s wife), who confronted TIGERMAN and told him to leave the house. On December 24, 2025, Child participated in a forensic interview, in which she disclosed the following. The abuse by her grandfather started when Child was four or five years old and stopped in 2018 or 2019. Child turned four years old in August 2013, and she turned ten years old in August 2019. The first incident Child could remember was when TIGERMAN touched her breasts over her clothes at her home in Apple Valley, Dakota County, Minnesota, when she was four or five years old.
This happened in a “princess tent.” Child described another incident when she was eight or nine years old that occurred at TIGERMAN’s home in Apple Valley. During this incident Child was laying on a bed when TIGERMAN pulled her pants down and licked her vagina with his tongue. The last incident she could recall occurred when Child was in third grade and staying at TIGERMAN’s residence. Child woke up during the night due to a nightmare and TIGERMAN had Child come to his room. TIGERMAN removed Child’s clothes and underwear and rubbed his penis on her vagina.
He also touched her breasts and kissed her neck. Child described how during this incident 2 19HA-CR-26-9 Filed in District Court State of Minnesota 1/2/2026 TIGERMAN “humped” her by grabbing her waist and pulling it towards him as if they were having sex, but there was no penetration. Child could feel TIGERMAN’s penis pushing on her vagina and anus as she faced away from him. Child had not previously told anyone about the abuse before her therapist. She did not think anyone would believe her. TIGERMAN told her not to tell anyone because they had a “special relationship,” and other people wouldn’t understand.
