MINNEAPOLIS — A former Hill City Police Officer was charged with sexually assaulting a teenage girl.
According to court documents in Hennepin County first reported by Fox 9, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension began an investigation in December 2025 after a mandated report from a therapist. The report concerned the sexual assault of a 17-year-old by a 35-year-old licensed peace officer.
In interviews, the victim stated she first met Jordan Zempel in person in September 2025 after chatting online.
“[The] victim stated that the defendant said he ‘had friends in the police department’ and that ‘you can’t say no’ to him,” court documents stated.
She told investigators that when she first got into his car, he pulled a gun out and allegedly said, “You’re safer with me than anyone else.”
“Victim also stated that when she got in his car, she remembered thinking, ‘What did I just do?’ and that she had to go through with it because the defendant drove her to his house in Apple Valley and he had a gun,” the charging document reads.
The filing also alleges Zempel made spontaneous comments to police indicating he had a sexual relationship with the victim, including looking up the statute.
Zempel faces a felony third-degree criminal sexual conduct charge, where the victim is between 16 and 17 and the actor is in a position of authority. The offense carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and up to a $30,000 fine.
Zempel, who lives in Apple Valley, is not in custody and is slated to make an initial court appearance June 8.
Zempel resigned from the Hill City Police Department in March. In a resignation letter accepted by the Hill City Council, Zempel said the decision was to be closer to family.
“I have had many difficult conversations these past months and my family and I have concluded that the distance from my residence and length of time away is not what is best for us at this time,” Zempel’s March 5 letter read.
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