A 41-year-old Minneapolis man has landed himself a 25-year stretch behind bars for coercing minors into producing child pornography over social media.
Nelson Thomas Harner, 41, of Minneapolis, was sentenced to 300 months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release for coercing minors to produce child pornography over social media, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, in 2019, Harner admitted to connecting with multiple minors on Instagram and Facebook and coercing them to engage in sexual activity for the purposes of producing child pornography.
Harner also possessed numerous images and videos depicting child sexual abuse material.
On July 11, 2023, Harner pleaded guilty to one count of coercion and enticement.
He was sentenced on May 15, 2024, in U.S. District Court by Judge Eric C. Tostrud.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
The investigation was part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Esther Soria Mignanelli prosecuted the case.
Related Federal Cases
- Minneapolis School Volunteer Sentenced to 20 Years for Child Pornography · Minnesota
- St. Paul Resident Brandon Jotblad Sentenced to Decade in Prison for Child Pornography · Minnesota
- Minneapolis Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Child Pornography Ring · Minnesota
- 40-Year-Old Chedor TV Sentenced to 20 Years for Producing Child Pornography · Minnesota
- James Blocks Trump’s Social Services Cuts · Washington
Key Facts
- State: Minnesota
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News