Former New Ulm cop sentenced to probation for sexual assaults

A former New Ulm cop accused of molesting two girls known to him has been sentenced to probation.

Eric Gramentz, 43, will serve 25 years on supervised probation on three counts of felony criminal sexual conduct.  He’s also required to register as a sex offender.

Judge Allison Krehbiel sentenced the former police officer to one year in jail with credit for 382 days already served.

Gramentz pled guilty in November to all three charges against him. The judge stayed a 12-year prison sentence on a charge of 1st-degree criminal sexual conduct.  A 12.5-year prison sentence for his 2nd-degree criminal sexual conduct count was also stayed for the duration of his probation. Gramentz received a stayed 10-year prison sentence for the third charge of 2nd-degree criminal sexual conduct.

The judge also ordered that Gramentz have no unsupervised contact with persons under the age of 18, including his children.  He is not allowed to have social media accounts.

If Gramentz violates the conditions of his probation, he will face about 22.5 years in prison; his 12-year prison sentences would be served concurrently, while the ten-year sentence would be served consecutively.

Gramentz’s sentence was a departure from typical Minnesota guidelines, which the courts consider based on the defendant’s age, prior record, and remorse.

A sentencing memorandum says Gramentz’s lighter sentence was the result of a psychosexual evaluation that indicated he is amenable to probation and sex offender treatment. Impact statements from Gramentz’s victims, who all requested that he not be sent to prison, also played a role.

In April 2022, Gramentz was accused of molesting a girl known to him when she was 11 or 12 years old.  Gramentz admitted he had sexually assaulted the girl under the guise of teaching her to masturbate.  Another victim came forward after Gramentz was initially charged, disclosing that the former New Ulm Police officer had begun sexually touching her when she was seven or eight years old.