Minnesota man sentenced to 30 years in prison after plotting to kill former child porn victim

Michael Kurkowski

MINNEAPOLIS (KFGO) – An Owatonna, Minnesota man will spend three decades in prison after pleading guilty to producing child pornography and threatening graphic violence against his victim’s family.

Michael Kurkowski, 31, spent five months in a Pennsylvania prison in 2021 after being convicted of corruption of a minor and of sexually exploiting a boy there. Kurkowski had traveled to Pennsylvania before his arrest and conviction to try to continue a relationship with the boy.

After his release, Kurkowski was placed on probation and ordered not to contact the victim.

Later that year, police began investigating Kurkowsi’s online communications about the sexual exploitation of another minor. Investigators found several messages from Kurkowski describing in graphic detail his plan to travel to Pennsylvania, where he would kill the first victim’s parents, rape his sister and then kill her in front of the boy.

The following February, investigators learned that Kurkowski had purchased a bus ticket to the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, area where the first victim and his family live. FBI agents followed Kurkowski to a bus stop in Toledo, Ohio, where he was arrested.

According to court records, Kurkowski had handcuffs, tape, a Taser, a knife, rubber gloves and face masks. His phone contained Google search terms including “man kills family of five,” “countries that don’t extradite to the US,” “how to subdue someone,” “best knives for killing” and murder sentences in Pennsylvania.

Kurkowski pleaded guilty in February.