Bemidji man charged in the kidnapping of 5-year-old girl
A Bemidji, Minn., man on probation for a child pornography conviction was charged Monday in the kidnapping of a 5-year-old girl.
The girl went missing last week after a mobile home fire on the northern edge of Bemidji. Fire crews were called to the Hillcrest Manor trailer park early Wednesday morning, and found the body of an adult woman in the debris.
Later that day, another woman arrived at the scene saying her daughter had been staying with a family friend in that trailer — setting off a 24-hour search.
The investigation led Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agents to Jacob William Kinn, a 32-year-old food truck operator. Kinn, they learned, had recently renewed a relationship with the woman later found in the burned mobile home.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.
Kinn was on probation for a child pornography conviction in 2013. His probation officer called and asked him to come in for questioning. According to the criminal complaint, Kinn told his probation officer, "this is probably about that missing girl."
Kinn came in willingly, but did not confess to the crime. Instead, investigators took his cellphone and found that his signal had pinged off a cell tower near Bigfork, Minn., north of Bemidji, where Kinn's brother owned land.
Two agents drove to the Kinn family property, and found the girl on the top bunk of a pop-up camper, restrained with duct tape.
The girl was taken to The Family Advocacy Center for medical attention.
She told police a man matching Kinn's description had taken her to his house and tied her up with duct tape. She said he took her from there to the camper where she was found, and left her alone without food. She also said he told her he would not be coming back.
The body found in the burned mobile home was turned over to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office. Police are waiting for autopsy results before releasing her name.
Kinn is charged with felony kidnapping, along with several probation violations. Conditional bail was set at $500,000. The charges made no mention of Kinn's possible role in the woman's death or the mobile home fire.