Former Minnetonka school employee sent nude photos to 15-year-old girl, charges say
MINNEAPOLIS — A 27-year-old former Minnetonka school employee is accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a 15-year-old student.
Ibrahim Haji, of Hopkins, is facing three charges for soliciting a child to engage in sexual conduct, engaging in communication relating or describing sexual conduct with a child and distributing material that relates or describes sexual conduct to a child, according to court documents filed in Hennepin County last Wednesday.
On Oct. 10, 2024, charges say a school resource officer at a high school in Minnetonka learned about a possible inappropriate relationship between a teacher, identified as Haji, and a student at another school in the area.
Eagle Ridge Academy in Minnetonka — a K-12 charter school — confirmed that Haji worked there from Sept. 28, 2023, to Oct. 21, 2024, as a hall monitor.
In a search of the victim's phone, police found a Snapchat contact labeled "Mr Hajis Sexy A**" charges say, and there were hundreds of messages between the two accounts from Oct. 9 and Oct. 15 as well as 13 emails sent between the victim's phone and an email associated with Haji.
During an interview, the victim allegedly told detectives she and Haji were close friends and that she had received a Snapchat picture from Haji that showed his penis. Charges say the victim admitted she sent back some pictures of "sexual nature" to Haji and that the two had discussed meeting up to have sex. She confirmed that Haji knew her age and wished her a happy birthday when she turned 15.
Upon his arrest on Oct. 22, Haji allegedly told police he "knew what this was about" and wanted to explain, according to the complaint.
Charges say a search of Haji's phone found he searched "is it a crime to talk to a minor" and "snapchat deactivation." Additionally, investigators report finding more than 200 pictures and videos of child sexual abuse material involving children who were not the 15-year-old victim.
Haji's first court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 23. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
If you know of a child who may have been a victim of exploitation, call the National Center for Missing or Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678 or visit the website.