Former Mankato football coach wants to erase records from dismissed case

Todd Hoffner
Todd Hoffner speaks to reporters as his wife, Melodee, right, attorneys Jim Fleming, left, and Gerald Maschka, second left, listen, Friday, Nov. 30, 2012, in Mankato, Minn. Hoffner, who had been sidelined by accusations of child pornography involving his own children, reacted with relief after a judge dismissed the case, saying he was "thankful to be waking up from this nightmare."
AP Photo/The Mankato Free Press, Jim Cross

The former head football coach at Minnesota State-Mankato has asked to have court records from an unfounded child pornography case against him erased.

Todd Hoffner was charged in 2012 with creating child pornography for recording videos of his children dancing naked. The charges were dismissed that November after a judge found the videos weren't child porn and were images of innocent fun.

The Mankato Free Press reported Thursday that Hoffner has filed a petition to expunge records in the case.

``I was wrongly accused,'' Hoffner said in the petition.

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The videos were found on Hoffner's work cellphone after he took it to the university to have it repaired in August 2012. This was just months after retired Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky had been convicted of 45 child sexual abuse counts, and Hoffner's case drew national attention.

Hoffner was subsequently placed on paid leave, and after the charges were dismissed he was given an administrative job but was fired in May for undisclosed reasons. A grievance filed against the university has gone to arbitration.

Hoffner recently became head coach at Minot State.

Hoffner's petition also says he asked the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and local authorities to have his arrest records destroyed after the charges were dismissed. The BCA said in a letter that its records had been destroyed. The local agencies did not respond, the petition said.

Police records that were never used during hearings or court filings have been sealed by the judge.