William Michael Haslach, Child Exploitation, Minnesota 2025

A former employee of two Minnesota school districts has pleaded guilty to using photos of children to create obscene images, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.

Defendant William Michael Haslach, 30, a former employee of Independent School District #622 (North St. Paul—Maplewood—Oakdale) and ISD #834 (Stillwater), has pleaded guilty to attempted production of child pornography and production of an obscene visual representation of child sexual abuse.

According to court documents, defendant Haslach, of Maplewood, Minnesota, occupied several positions of trust with children. From August 2021 until January 2025, Haslach served as a lunch monitor and traffic guard for ISD #622. From 2021 through 2024, Haslach also served as a paraprofessional and later as a youth summer programs assistant for ISD #834.

Haslach used his access to children to take non-explicit photos of children in his care. He then used those images to produce morphed photos of those minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Haslach admitted to creating obscene visual representations of at least 91 minor victims in more than 690 morphed images.

He also admitted to surreptitiously photographing a pre-pubescent minor’s genital area when she was wearing a swimsuit. To date, there is no evidence that Mr. Haslach distributed or shared the images he created.

As part of the plea agreement, the U.S. Attorney's Office has set up a website to provide resources and information to parents of children who have been under Haslach's care: www.justice.gov/usao-mn/haslach-child-exploitation-case-school-district-employee-0.

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 case is the result of an investigation conducted by the United States Secret Service, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Maplewood Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney William Mattessich is prosecuting the case. While the exact prison sentence for Haslach has not been revealed, he is currently awaiting sentencing for his crimes. If you are a parent of a child who has been under Haslach's care, we urge you to visit the U.S. Attorney's Office website for more information and resources.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/former-school-district-employee-pleads-guilty-using-ai-technology-produce-sexual-abuse