NEW ULM — A 45-year-old former New Ulm Police investigator who pleaded guilty to three counts of felony criminal sexual conduct with a child last year, was sentenced to 12 years in prison Monday, according to an amended sentencing order filed in Brown County District Court.

Gramentz could be eligible for lifetime conditional release after 10 years in prison.

The resentencing of Eric Alan Gramentz follows a Feb. 26 Minnesota Court of Appeals decision to reverse and remand (send back) an April 2023 Brown County Court sentencing decision ordering Gramentz to serve 25 years of supervised probation for three counts of felony criminal sexual conduct.

Gramentz’s lighter sentence was the result of a psycho-sexual evaluation that indicated he is amenable to probation and sex offender treatment. Victim impact statements from Gramentz’s victims all requested he not be sent to prison, also played a role in the decision.

He pleaded guilty to first-degree felony criminal sexual conduct and two counts of second-degree felony criminal conduct with a child from 2015 to 2022, in January 2023.

Gramentz was sentenced to eight years in prison, but the sentence was suspended for probation. He was ordered to register as a predatory sex offender, have no unsupervised contact with persons under age 18 and was not allowed to have social media accounts.

Scott County prosecutors appealed the judge’s decision to sentence Gramentz to 25 years probation. Scott County prosecuted the case to avoid conflict of interest.

“Because the district court did not identify substantial and compelling reasons to depart from the presumptive prison sentence, we reverse and remand for resentencing, read the Court of Appeals opinion.

“We express no opinion as to the appropriate sentence on remand,” read the Court of Appeals decision.

Sentences for one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct are concurrent. The other second-degree criminal sexual conduct charge sentence is consecutive.

Brown County Attorney Chuck Hanson said in February that he was pleased that the matter was sent back to resentencing.

“I’m thankful Scott County Attorney Ron Hocevar and the Scott County Attorney’s Office for their professionalism and hard work throughout this case,” added Hanson.

Mankato attorney Patrick J. Casey was not available for comment Tuesday.