Stephen Jeremiah Hansen, Child Pornography Production, Minnesota 2024

A Carlton man has been sentenced to 300 months in prison, equivalent to 25 years, followed by 15 years of supervised release for the production and attempted production of child pornography.

Stephen Jeremiah Hansen, 30, was sentenced in U.S. District Court by Judge Jerry W. Blackwell on July 23, 2024, in Duluth, Minnesota.

According to court documents, Hansen engaged in a pattern of sexually abusing children, including at least six children between the ages of two and 12 years old, between 2015 and 2022. The abuse included removing the children's clothing, touching their genitals, and capturing videos and photos of it on his cell phone.

In total, at least 250 images of child pornography were discovered in Hansen's possession, some of which he created and some of which were downloaded from the internet.

Hansen pleaded guilty to one count of production and attempted production of child pornography on September 26, 2023.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006.

The investigation was led by the FBI, the Carlton County Sheriff's Office, and the St. Paul Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ruth S. Shnider prosecuted the case.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/carlton-man-sentenced-25-years-prison-producing-child-pornography