Duluth Man Given Max Sentence for Sexually Abusing Child While Filming

Jun 10

A Duluth man who admitted to sexually abusing a boy over a span of three years and producing explicit recordings of the abuse was sentenced Tuesday to 30 years in prison.

Jeffery Lee Niemi, 40, received the maximum penalty for one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a child under the age of 14.

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For the second first-degree criminal sexual conduct conviction, Niemi was given a 15 year sentence. The prison terms will run concurrently.

The abuse occurred between 2021 and 2024 and included multiple instances of sexual penetration, according to court records. As part of a plea deal, prosecutors dismissed two additional counts.

PREVIOUSLY: Duluth Man Gets Plea Deal in Child Porn Case; 2 Charges Dropped

Niemi was credited with 253 days already served in custody and ordered to register again as a predatory offender. Following his release, Niemi will be under supervision for 99 years. He must also provide a DNA sample and pay $6,129.24 in restitution.

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The abuse was uncovered during an international child exploitation investigation in Australia. Authorities flagged 26 videos and 21 images containing sexually explicit content involving a child, which ultimately led to Niemi’s arrest. Homeland Security Investigations forwarded the material to the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office after tracing the source to Duluth.

PREVIOUSLY: Facial Recognition Leads to Arrest of Duluth Man in Child Exploitation Case

Investigators used facial recognition and publicly available social media images to identify both Niemi and the victim. A search warrant executed at Niemi’s home in October 2024 uncovered several items seen in the videos, including distinct clothing and accessories. His wife confirmed Niemi’s frequent visits to the Duluth YMCA, where one of the videos was believed to have been filmed.

Niemi has a prior conviction from 2016 for possession of pornographic work and was under court-ordered supervision until April 2023. The latest case did not include a sentencing agreement as part of the plea deal.

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